Memory Lane
by Andi-Chan
Summary: Zuko is an assassin in search of his memories. Katara is an orphan who would rather erase hers. Their strange encounter sparks a journey through their pasts in which one witty prisoner and her annoyed captor become closer than they ever thought possible.
1. Part I: Curiosity

AU. Zuko is a ruthless assassin in search of his memories. Katara is a witness to an assassination who would rather forget hers. Their strange encounter sparks a journey through their pasts in which captive and captor become closer than they ever imagined.

Memory Lane

Chapter One: Curiosity

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_**"Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect." - Stephen Wright**_

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* * *

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A boy of eighteen stripped himself of his clothing and stepped into the shower. He tipped his head slightly letting the water run in trails down his face, ridding his alabaster skin of all impurities. The water flowed into a pool of startling red at his feet, the last reminder of his recent assignment. He felt no pity or remorse for the man he had murdered, as was his custom, but he could not help remembering the way he begged to be spared.

Pathetic.

That man had no honor. He almost shook his head at the irony. What right did he have to speak of one's honor when he had yet to reclaim his own? Without his honor he lived a meaningless existence killing people in order to find his purpose. He was nothing more than an emotionless shell, a pawn on an enormous chessboard covered in shades of gray.

_He_ was pathetic.

He sighed and decided it was time to end such useless contemplation; it was getting him nowhere. He turned the knob until the water stopped flowing, stepped out of the shower, and grabbed a towel from the rack. Almost immediately after he had done so, the telltale sound of his cell phone interrupted his moment of solitude. He cursed silently and walked swiftly across the bathroom and into the connected bedroom. His hand grasped the phone and flipped it open in one fluid motion.

"Yes?"

"Your assignment details are disclosed in the manila folder located in your bedside drawer," said the eerie voice that he had become accustomed to listening to over the years. "I expect him dead by the noted time. You will be paid promptly for your services, as usual."

"I understand."

He closed his phone and sighed once again. He despised back-to-back assignments. His boss did not assign them often, but when he did there was a good reason for it. He did not dare question his boss's judgment; he held his past and his future in his hands

* * *

Katara stifled a yawn with difficulty. School was such a nuisance. What was the point in dragging her tired body out of bed every morning when she already knew everything that she was being taught? Sometimes she wished she could just escape from the monotony and go on an adventure... 

She almost snorted. An adventure? Television was rotting her brain indeed. However, despite the obscenity of the idea, the prospect of an escape from her boring existence seemed exciting.

_'I wonder what I should cook for dinner tonight...' _she mused, _'Pad Thai sounds really good right now.'_

"Miss Katara!"

Her teacher's angry voice shook her out of her stupor, "Hm?"

"I asked you to answer the problem on the board but since you were unable to pay-"

"X equals negative or positive four."Katara answered promptly, "Sorry."

Her teacher nodded slightly, a sign of affirmation. She walked back to the board and began writing the next problem. "Remember that when using the quadratic formula..."

_'I really wish that I didn't have to work late tonight. Yue knows I can't resist her damn puppy dog face...'_

A white triangle landed on the corner of her desk. Puzzled, she picked it up and unfolded it. She scanned the contents of the letter with a smile. _Katara, you know this is the fifth time today that you've been caught staring off into space. You need to work on that. Aang._ She turned her head to the side slightly and beamed at her best friend. He always knew how to cheer her up.

She stretched languidly and watched in fascination as a light pink blush spread across his face like wildfire. She was beginning to wonder if her friend had some kind of condition. His face heated up constantly when she was around him. Suddenly concerned, she wrote him a message and threw it discreetly into his lap.

Aang's face seemed to heat up more creating a stark contrast between his face and the ever-present light blue arrow tattoo that adorned his forehead. He scribbled his response shakily and promptly threw it back to her in a similar manner. She unfolded it and raised her eyebrow at his response.

_I'm fine_..._ It's just a little hot in here, don't you think?_

She was beginning to think that the institution synonymous with a prison facility had finally taken its toll on her friend's sanity. It was cold enough for goose bumps to creep up her legs and arms. She wrote him a response and threw the paper so that it landed on his knee. He unfolded her letter and stifled a laugh preparing to respond.

However, their correspondence was abruptly ended by the shrill sound of the dismissal bell.

* * *

Katara couldn't wait until her shift was over. She was ready to go home and relax and the feeling of hunger washing over her didn't help the situation. Her eyes scanned the small store to roughly estimate the number of customers. She felt relieved when she only found one. He was a middle-aged man, probably no more than forty-five. His shaking hands were clasped around a small porcelain doll. He made his way to the counter cautiously, looking over his shoulder occasionally. 

Katara gave him a small smile, "Is that doll for your daughter?"

The man looked up at her with wide frightened eyes, "Y-yes. She's been waiting over a year for this doll to come out. It's her birthday today."

"That's very sweet of you. I'm sure she'll love it," she said as she took the doll from him and ran it under the scanner, "Your total is fifteen dollars and fifty cents." The man handed her a fifty and walked swiftly out of the store. Katara looked after him in puzzlement. The man didn't even bother to wait for his change.

She shrugged, let out a deep breath, and began to close down the store. Food was what she needed to be worried about. Perhaps she wouldn't cook dinner. She could just simply walk to the Thai restaurant, order some food, and eat it at home without wasting any of her limited alone time.

She turned off the lights and walked out of the door, making sure to lock it behind her. Her feet ached in protest as she walked in the direction opposite her apartment. It was times like these that she wished that the restaurant delivered. She lived no more than a ten minutes walk away from the store and she was sure that they could drive to her apartment building in less than two minutes. She didn't mind walking to the restaurant; it wasn't a strenuous journey. The only down side was that the surrounding area was poorly lighted. Fear gripped her heart temporarily before she shook her head and brushed it off. She was being ridiculous. Nothing ever happened here. She began walking faster; growing more confident with every step she took.

After a while, her feet seemed to move on their own accord. Her fear had diminished leaving only hunger in its wake. The restaurant was in her line of vision and she could feel her pace quickening. However, as she drew nearer to the door she noticed something that made her heart sink.

It was closed.

How could she forget that they were closed on Thursdays? Feeling dejected, she walked away from the restaurant. She had wasted her time for nothing; now she would have to cook. The pain and fear washed over her once again as she trudged through the eerie darkness.

Now that she thought of it, it would have been wise to ask Aang to come with her. As she walked, it seemed as though every sound was amplified by a hundred decibels. Every shadow seemed to sway in a sinister manner, sending chills down her spine. She didn't know why this street seemed so horrifying. She had walked home from late shifts before and it didn't affect her nearly as much as it did now.

Up until now, she had let her body let the way. Walking home from the Thai restaurant was such a habitual action that it was almost second nature. However, as she looked around, her surroundings seemed alien to her. If there was one thing that she could ascertain, it was that she was walking down a dark alley. She let a string of curses pass through her lips. How could she let her fear overwhelm her like that? She turned around and prepared to continue walking in the opposite direction, but something stopped her.

"Please, don't do this!" a familiar voice pleaded, "My daughter's birthday is today! I promised her that I would be home tonight to give her a present…"

Her eyes widened. That was the voice of her last customer from the shop. But what was he doing here? She pressed her self against the wall and moved further down the alley, being careful not to make a sound.

A light from the other side of the alley dimly illuminated two figures. The older man was on his knees clutching a doll so tightly that it was a wonder it hadn't shattered into a million pieces. An imposing figure was standing over him holding two identical swords. Katara tried to catch a glimpse of his face, but the strange blue mask he was wearing hid it from view.

"I'll give you anything you want! Name your price."

The masked man pulled his sword back behind his head, "Your life."

Before the man could respond, the cold metal of the sword pierced through his chest, impaling his heart. He fell over backwards, his head connecting with the pavement with a sickening crack.

Katara's legs felt like led. She couldn't believe what had just transpired in front of her very eyes. She had just met the man less than forty minutes ago and there he was, motionless on the ground still clutching his daughter's birthday present in his cold lifeless hands.

She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she watched the murderer pull his sword out of the man's body and wipe the blood on the victim's clothes nonchalantly. If she stayed where she was, he was definitely going to find her. She began to slip away slowly, but before she could even lift her right foot two hands slammed her roughly into the cold brick wall. She hissed in pain.

"Thought you were pretty clever, didn't you?" he whispered. His voice was smooth, beautiful in a terrifying way. "I don't know who sent you to follow me, but they'll certainly regret it once they discover that their spy has been murdered."

Katara couldn't speak. Her lungs refused to cooperate with her. He was going to kill her. He was going to kill her. He was going to _kill_ her.

"I…I… was- I mean I'm not a s-spy!" she stuttered finding her voice at last, "I just… heard that man p-pleading with you."

"Curiosity," The assailant pulled his sword behind his head once again, "killed the cat."

She was frozen in fear. This was it. She had to do something, anything at all. The next few seconds would determine if she would live or die. She took a deep breath, lifter her head and screamed as loud as she possibly could. Her attacker released her, but before she could even attempt to get away he hit her sharply in the back of her head. Darkness clouded her vision as she slumped over, unconscious.

The assassin prepared himself to strike once again, but the sound of footsteps alerted him to get away. He grabbed the girl by her waist and hoisted her unceremoniously onto his back. He jumped into the air and disappeared into the night. There was no time to kill the girl now. He would deal with her later.

* * *

Katara opened her eyes groggily and attempted to discern her location through her blurry vision. She would soon discover that her efforts were to no avail; the room was encased in darkness. She tried to stand up, but unfortunately her legs and arms were together in tight knots. 

She had gotten herself in some big trouble this time. What had possessed her to do satisfy her curiosity? She knew better than to meddle in other people's affairs. An exasperated sigh escaped from her lips. There had to be some way to undo the ropes. She leaned forward so that her teeth clenched around the rope.

"Don't even bother."

Katara froze in her attempt. He was in the room watching her this whole time? The man was becoming creepier with every passing second. "Why were you watching me?"

The man was taken aback. Who was she to think that she was in the position to ask him questions? "You might think it wise to hold your tongue, girl." he hissed.

But she didn't heed his words, "My _name_ is Katara," She scoffed, "Let me guess yours. Is it bastard, perhaps?"

Before a smirk could even grace her face, she could feel the cold metal of one of the assassin's swords pressing against her neck. "My name is Zuko. Remember it, it's the last thing you'll here before you die."

The shrill sound of a cell phone rang through the silence causing Zuko to remove the sword from Katara's neck and walk swiftly out of the room.

* * *

"I am both very pleased and very disappointed with your performance tonight, Blue Spirit." Said his boss in a voice that caused Zuko to flinch slightly, "You killed the man as I asked. But you seem to have forgotten to kill the witness. I believe you are slipping. 

"However, I don't want you to kill the girl just yet. Allow her to live just a while longer."

Zuko was slightly puzzled by his boss's strange request, but he didn't question it. It seemed as though the man had several spies watching him on his every mission, making sure he didn't screw anything up. They were probably even watching him as they had their conversation.

"Understood."

He flipped his phone shut and shoved it into his pocket. What the hell was he supposed to do with the brat? If she continued smart-mouthing him he couldn't guarantee her safety. He should have killed her when he had the chance…

He walked back to the room that held his difficult prisoner and opened it wide, illuminating the entire room in the process. It was then that he got his first glance at the girl. She wasn't as young as he previously assumed, though he could tell that she was younger than him. Her eyes, a shocking bright blue, were staring at him in utmost hatred.

"Come to kill me, bastard?" she seethed, her eyes narrowing, "Go ahead, I'm not afraid of death anymore."

What happened to the scared timid girl he had encountered in the ally? How was she able to look at him without fear when she had seen him murder someone in her presence?

"It's not like I haven't seen someone get murdered before." she whispered, "It's your job to destroy the lives of others. So do me a favor and get it over with."

He narrowed his eyes at her, though she did not notice this due to the mask concealing his face, "I don't follow orders from people like you."

"Oh that's right," she said with a mocking tone, "You follow orders from people who are far better than me. People who hire dogs to do their dirty work because they are too weak to do it themselves."

Zuko clenched his fingers so hard that he was surprised that he didn't draw blood. "You shouldn't speak ill against the man who spared your life."

He walked over to Katara, held her shoulders, and leaned in so close that she could feel his breath against her skin, "I don't know why he wants you alive, but I am certain your value is only temporary. When the time comes that you are no longer useful, I promise you I won't hesitate before I slit your throat."

With that he walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving Katara in darkness once again.

TBC…

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Hey! What'd you think of the first chapter? I've had this idea for quite a while now; it's just taken me a while to develop. Please review and let me know what you think. Remember that constructive criticism is welcomed, but destructive criticism (a.k.a flames) is not. See you next chapter! 

Andi-Chan


	2. Part I: Naiveté

Memory Lane

Chapter Two: Naiveté

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**"_All big things in this world are done by people who are naive and have an idea that is obviously impossible." –Frank Richards_**

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Katara was exhausted. She had no idea what time it was, but it seemed as though she had been gnawing at the ropes constricting feet for hours, to no avail. She was beginning to think that she would never free herself from her compromising situation.

"Who does that guy think he_ is_?" she muttered softly.

"That," said the silky smooth voice, "is none of your concern."

It was a wonder how he was able to get into the room without her noticing. "Really now? I get tied up in thrown into an unknown location, and you don't think it is any of my concern?" she scoffed, "So I'll ask you again: who the hell do you think you are?"

He didn't respond and she continued, "Do you like your job, _Zuko_?" she said in a mocking voice, "Do they pay you hefty sums to murder innocent people?"

"Don't call me that." he seethed, "No one is allowed to call me that., especially you."

She laughed dryly, "Is that so? Then what do I call you? Asshole has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

His blood was slowly reaching the boiling point. This girl was walking on razor thin ice. "You will call me Blue Spirit and nothing else, understand?"

"Blue Spirit, huh?" The name sounded foreign to her ears, almost soothing. "What a lame pseudonym. Couldn't you come up with anything better?"

She was starting to give him a headache. What was with her? "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

She looked up at him, startled. "Well," she said, her confidence getting the best of her, "I'm not afraid of cowards."

"I am not a coward." he hissed, walking slowly towards her, "You don't know anything about me."

"Let's keep it that way, shall we?" she said, "I don't want to hear any sick and twisted stories about the people you've killed for selfish reasons."

He lunged at her, grasping her collar in a tight fist and lifting her slightly off the ground. "Do you have any idea who those people are?"

"Do you?" She whispered as she stared directly into his masked eyes for the first time. They were striking bright gold, beautiful and deadly at the same time. "All I know is that they are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers… and daughters of loved ones that will surely miss them. Of people who have to go through life without them, facing the harsh reality of their deaths… of…of…" she trailed off feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

Zuko chuckled, "Too weak."

He dropped her on the ground, albeit roughly, and continued to laugh. "Let me tell you something, _brat_. No one in this world is truly innocent. Everyone commits crimes; everyone has dark secrets; everyone tells lies.

"No one is exempt from this. The perfect world you live in is nothing but a child's fantasy. Your self-righteousness is nothing but hypocrisy. You're just a little girl who doesn't understand-"

"Shut up!"

Although her eyes were glazed with tears, hatred burned within them. "You don't know anything about me! You-" she paused, understanding that he had beat her at her own game.

"Let's keep it that way, shall we?" he said, his voice was laced with venom, "I don't want to hear stories of your obvious stupidity."

"I hate you," she hissed, "You're a monster…"

"Don't worry," he whispered, "The feeling is mutual."

Before she had time to utter a retort, his cell phone rang. He flipped it open for the umpteenth time that day. "Yes?"

"Spirit," a deadpan voice said, "You sound agitated. Is something wrong?"

Zuko sighed, "Nothing, Mai. Just a minor inconvenience."

Katara glared at him, a gesture that he promptly returned. "Good. Get to the agency as soon as you possibly can. We're going to discuss the future of your prisoner."

"I'm on my way."

He flipped his phone shut and reached into his pocket for something. Katara immediately tensed, preparing herself for the worst. Something red flew through the air and landed at her feet. "Here," he said with a smirk, "Good luck eating without your hands."

She looked down at the apple, wondering how something so normal could exist in her surreal circumstances. For once, she was going to stay quiet. This was the opportunity that she had been waiting for in the length of her captivity and she wasn't about to screw it up so soon.

He turned to her, an irritating smirk on his face, "Stay here, brat, and try to find a way to …_entertain _yourself while I'm gone."

"Sadistic bastard…" she muttered darkly.

He didn't seem to hear her comment as he walked out of the room and locked the door. Darkness clouded her vision once again, but she didn't let it disconcert her. She was amazed, and relieved, that the so-called "assassin" didn't bother to check her for weapons. Regrettably, she didn't think to bring anything with her when she went to work, however; the hairpins that she had decided to wear to school would hopefully do the trick.

She arched her back so that her head tipped back towards her hands and groped for the sharp accessories. As soon as she got a hold of them, she lifted her head up to its usual position and began slowly cutting the rope.

There had never been an explanation as to why she decided to buy the hairpins a few years ago. They were plain, long, and old fashioned with a single blue orb on one end, the only one of their kind on the shelf. The only characteristic that made the pins distinguishable was their sharpness. She could remember wondering why such things were sold in stores. The vendor didn't even recognize them as she walked to the counter to purchase them, so she was told that she could have them for free.

When the rope binding her arms was severed, she began working on her legs in a similar fashion. She couldn't wait to escape from this place. It seemed to cause feelings of fear and nausea to rise in her chest. It wasn't only her location that roused such feelings; her captor did as well. When he leaned in close to mock her, she could see traces of dried blood on his clothing, reminiscent of his last murder. The fear that she felt had no relation to death, despite the circumstances. She couldn't quite explain its origins.

She smiled in the darkness at her resourcefulness as she stood up for the first time in hours, relishing in freedom. She would escape, and once she had done so she would make the people responsible pay dearly.

* * *

Zuko sat in his car, enjoying the few moments of silence granted to him. He didn't blast music from the radio like a stereotypical teenager; he was as far from the status quo as possible. He didn't know how normal teenagers acted and, quite frankly, he didn't care. He didn't like to be put in any category; he lived for himself and only for himself. 

He parked the car with ease in a random location as not to rouse suspicion. As soon as he had gotten out of his car, he began his walk to the Agency.

The Agency was an obscure, seemingly run down building located in the emptiest section of the city. Light failed to illuminate or emanate from it, giving it an eerie aura. Boss had declared it the best location for their organization because most people went out of their way to avoid it. He had said that as long as mankind allowed fear to grasp their hearts and shut out the voice of reason, they would never be discovered.

Zuko rapped twice on the door and waited to be let in. Though they could surely afford them, there were no retina or fingerprint scans. The simpler their actions, the less obvious their motives.

The door creaked slightly as it opened, a dim light shining from the building's interior. A young boy with a round face and glassy eyes eagerly motioned him through the doorframe. Zuko wasn't at all surprised at the boy's enthusiasm; they all started out like that. Once he had been exposed to death, the smile would be wiped off his face.

He proceeded to walk down the long dimly lit hallway until he arrived at the last door. This time he knocked only once before waiting for a response. As the door opened, someone launched themselves into Zuko's arms, almost knocking him off his feet.

"Spirit!" said the muffled voice, "I haven't seen you for-"

"Two days." said an amused voice behind them.

"Two days!" the figure launched herself into the other's arms, "You're so smart, Mai!"

Mai rolled her eyes, "Ty Lee," she attempted to peel the young girl off her to no avail, "you really need to stop doing that."

She put her arm behind her head sheepishly, "Old habits die hard I guess."

Mai shook her head and motioned for Zuko to follow. Ty Lee hooked her arm with his and the three walked through the doorframe. Zuko shook his head as well, copying Mai's previous gesture. It was odd that Ty Lee always seemed cheerful, despite her occupation.

They entered a room with a long black table in the center. Several chairs were pulled out, most of them occupied. The walls were painted crimson, an appropriate color for their line of work. Several heads looked up and nodded in Zuko's direction, waiting for him and his companions to take a seat. He unlatched his arm from Ty Lee's before sitting down at the corner of the table.

"So the prince finally decides to grace us with his presence." said a brown-haired teenager with a cigarette in his mouth, "It is truly an honor."

Ty Lee punched him hard in the arm, "Shut up, Jet."

Zuko paid him no mind, "This meeting concerns my prisoner, Boss?"

Most members in the agency were afraid of Boss. He seemed to know everything that happened at any given time. No one was able to fool him. Many had tried any they had been disposed of promptly. He had the eyes of a falcon, bright gold and unrelenting. It was believed that he was able to look directly into someone's soul with a single glance.

Zuko wasn't particularly bothered by his mannerisms. At times he thought some of his actions were a bit outlandish, but he felt no fear towards him. He was among a scarce few that were able to willingly look him in the eyes without flinching.

"Yes, Spirit." Boss said, looking at him across the table, eyebrow raised. "Your _prisoner _is very special."

_Special?_ Zuko resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he had no idea that his boss had such low standards, "Enlighten me."

"She's the one that got away." Boss said, barely above a whisper.

Zuko knew he wasn't going to get any more information. Boss loved to know things that others did not. "I sincerely hope that the purpose of this meeting is to take her off my hands."

"Not at all, " Boss smirked, "I said we would keep her alive, correct? Why not leave her in the hands of the most capable? That is, unless you have a problem controlling her. If that's the case, I'll give the job to Azula or Jet-"

"That isn't necessary," Zuko interrupted, "I can handle her."

"I must warn you," Boss said, his gold eyes narrowed, " we are under the impression that others may be after the girl as well. Your job is to make sure they do not succeed in their attempts. However, you will still be responsible for carrying out your missions"

Zuko nodded.

"Also," he turned to the rest of the assassins, "Azula's assassination attempt failed."

Everyone, save Zuko, was shocked. Azula was one of the Agency's top assassins. She _never_ failed to carry out an assignment, even if she had to take the life of a comrade in the process.

"The target somehow knew he was going to be assassinated and hired someone to protect him." Boss continued, "He managed to defeat her."

"I don't see how this is significant." Zuko muttered, "Assassins often fail in their attempts."

"Sometimes I wonder why you are praised so often, Zuko." A girl with long black hair said with a smirk, "Stupidity isn't a very endearing quality."

Zuko narrowed his eyes, "What are you trying to say, Jun?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she said with a mocking tone, "Our victims are very ignorant men. The chance that he would be able to know his fate is slim. Someone must of informed him."

Ty Lee cocked her head to the side, "Which means?"

"It means we have an enemy, idiot." Jet scoffed.

Ty Lee folded her arms over her chest and huffed, mumbling a rather colorful string of curses under her breath.

Boss nodded his assent, "Several, in fact."

"Wonderful." Mai mumbled darkly.

"Spirit," Zuko looked up at him, allowing a rare contemplative look to grace his features, "I suggest you get home quickly lest the girl tries to escape."

Zuko smirked arrogantly, "That would be impossible."

Boss shook his head, "How truly …_naïve_ of you."

* * *

Katara cringed as she rammed herself against the door for what felt like the thousandth time. Knocking down the door was proving to be an impossible feat. She was beginning to think that her escape efforts were futile. 

She slid to the floor dejectedly, clutching her throbbing arm. What was she to do now? There were no windows to escape from, no objects to aid her in escape. This room must have been cleared for the sole purpose of containing prisoners.

She crawled to the other side of the room, using the wall to lift her body off the ground. This was going to be her last attempt. After that, her body wouldn't be able to withstand the pain

She pushed herself off the wall and ran as fast as she could towards the door. _'Please work!'_ she though desperately before turned sideways and rammed herself into the hard polished wood.

It was then that something extraordinary occurred. Katara didn't feel the excruciating pain in her arm as she rammed into the door. Instead, she fell right through the doorframe as though there had never been a door at all. Puzzled, she opened her eyes to find that the door had disappeared entirely, leaving only water in its place.

When she looked down to find that her body was drenched in water as well, she shook her head. Whatever had just happened was definitely not normal. Hours in the darkness had definitely driven her to insanity.

She stood up and looked around the apartment for an exit. She felt her heart soar when her eyes landed on the front door. Her feet began to move quickly towards the door on their own accord. She was finally going to escape captivity. She was…

Her heart sunk into her stomach. The doorknob was different than any doorknob she had ever seen. Most modern doorknobs could be turned to operate a locking mechanism that held the door closed. However, this door had a lock built into the doorknob, locking her inside the house.

The door seemed to be four times as thick as the door she had just escaped from, making it impossible for her to knock it down. She sighed exasperatedly. Spirit was more than just an assassin; he was a psychopath.

She turned from the door and walked down a hallway directly across from it. She opened the first door that she laid eyes on and flipped the light switch to turn it on. It was a bathroom. Katara rolled her eyes as she took in her surroundings, 'He's the most boring psychopath I've ever met.'

Everything in the bathroom was completely white save the mirror and the window. She walked towards the mirror to evaluate her appearance.

'Ugh. I look like I've never used a hair brush before.' She shook her head. Her appearance should be the last thing on her mind. Her eyes scanned the bathroom once again for something that could aid her in escape. They landed on the window directly above the toilet.

She walked towards it and stood on the tips of her toes to measure the distance to the ground. Her heart lurched once again; the pavement was at least six stories away.

"Damn it!" she cursed, walking out of the bathroom in anger, "This isn't a house, it's a labyrinth!"

There were no more options available. She would have to wait for the cold-blooded bastard to return.

* * *

As Zuko walked to his apartment door, he couldn't help but think of what Boss had said. The Agency had enemies? For so long he had believed that they could complete their assignments without any interference. Despite what he had declared in the meeting, he still found it hard to believe that Azula could be defeated so easily. The strangest part was that the person responsible had kept her alive, as if warning the rest of them not to meddle in their affairs. 

He smirked as he dug in his pocket for his key. A challenge was just what he needed. His life had become quite boring as of late. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. His apartment was as immaculate as he had left it. Perhaps Boss had been wrong about-

Before he had time to react, an incredible force brought Zuko to his knees, knocking the wind out of him.

TBC…

* * *

Andi-Chan here! Chapter two is finally finished, as you can see… I'm really excited about this story. I have many ideas that I wish to incorporate before I finish. I really want to know what you think about it so please review! Questions and constructive criticism are welcomed, but flames are not. You don't want to know what happens when I get a flame… : ) 

Andi-Chan


	3. Part I: Bravery

Memory Lane

Chapter Three: Bravery

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**"_What is bravery? I think it's largely when one acts spontaneously before weighing the possibilities of self-injury." – Richard Chamberlain_**

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* * *

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The only audible sound in Zuko's apartment was his sleek cell phone sliding across the kitchen floor. His back ached as he looked around wildly for his assailant. Before long, his eyes centered on two long, tanned legs. He attempted to grab one, but they jumped out of his reach.

"Oh how the tables have turned. " said an annoying voice, "Who's the weak one now?"

"You know," Her footsteps echoed across the linoleum floor, stopping when she arrived in front of the phone, "Although you have horrible taste, your phone is pretty nice,"

"You little brat…" he seethed as he watched her pocket the phone, "You have no idea what you're doing."

"This little brat," she said, pointing to her chest, "is leaving."

He watched as Katara ran out of his open apartment door. _'Damn. How did she manage to get out of her room?' _he mused_, "How was she able to knock me down?"_

His head reeled as he stood up. A smirk graced his features as he noticed the object responsible for his temporary immobility. She was more resourceful than he thought. He roughly kicked the chair out of his path and began to run out the open door, not even bothering to close it behind him. She was also an idiot of she thought she would be able to outrun him.

The elevator and the stairs were only two routes out of his apartment: It didn't matter which one she decided to take; they both ended at the exact same place. Though he hated to admit it, she was reasonably smart. She would most likely head for the stairs.

He smirked as he caught sight of her lithe body running down the staircase. No matter how she had thought her escape through, her speed was no match for him. He watched as she flipped open his phone in an attempt to call someone.

"Aang!" he could hear her call desperately, "I really need your help! Someone's kidnapped me and-"

This girl was a nuisance. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek silver dagger. It flew through the air and created a shallow cut in her palm. She cursed loudly, but continued to run down the stairs. It was only a matter of time before Zuko was a few steps behind her.

"I must applaud you for getting this far, girl," he seethed, "but playtime is-"

Before he could finish his sentence, she was out of his reach once again. Zuko could only gape as he watched her body sail through the air and land unceremoniously at the foot of the stairs with a sickening crunch. Even more surprising was the fact that she continued to run despite her injury. He smirked. She was either incredibly brave or entirely stupid; he was leaning toward the latter.

He continued to run down the stairs at top speed until he caught sight of her once again. Her stamina was steadily decreasing and her leg was beginning to swell. He decided it was time to end their game of cat and mouse.

He roughly grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. To his surprise, fear and apprehension weren't reflected in her big blue eyes. The only emotion that seemed to radiate from her was unadulterated rage.

She raised her hand and attempted to slap him, but Zuko stopped her in her attempt. Her leg hooked around the back of his causing his knees to buckle. Without thinking, he grabbed her other wrist causing them both to fall to the ground.

"Think you're clever, don't you?" he hissed in her ear, causing her to shiver, "Let me make this clear: you'll never escape."

She narrowed her eyes. "Just what the hell do you want from me?"

"_I_ don't want anything from you save your untimely death. My boss, however, is another story."

A pair of footsteps could be heard from behind them, causing both Katara and Zuko to tense slightly. A low whistle made its way through the air. "My, my Spirit. I would have never thought you were that kind of guy."

* * *

Girlish squeals echoed though Zuko's apartment, "Aww, Spirit! I knew it would only be a matter of time before you'd grow up!" 

Zuko was beyond annoyed. It was lucky the brat was changing in his room or he was sure she would attack his bubbly associate. "For the last time, Ty Lee, I was only trying to capture her-"

"You're lucky. The way you described her, I thought she would be some kind of Hag." Said Ty Lee's companion, "I'm the one that has to travel with this monstrosity of a-"

Ty Lee silenced him with a blow to the head, "What Jet means is that your prisoner doesn't seem as bad as you make her to be."

Zuko chose to ignore her statement, "What are you too doing here anyway?"

"You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome." Jet muttered, "Boss wanted us to deliver your next assignment."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. Boss usually had his own ways of making sure the assignments were delivered. This was the first time he had sent assassins to do it. "I'm sure there is another reason why you two are here."

"Sharp as always." Jet commented, "He wants you to bring the girl with you."

A loud thump was heard from the other side of Zuko's door. "Looks like we have an eavesdropper!" Ty Lee exclaimed before she made her way to Zuko's room and opened the door causing Katara to fall over, "Naughty girl!"

Ty Lee grabbed Katara's wrist, dragged her to the living room, and dropped her unceremoniously to the ground. Katara looked up at Ty Lee in anger, "Do that again and I swear you'll regret it."

She stood up and dusted herself off, "Whoever picked out these clothes is mentally disturbed…"

She donned a blue tank top and matching shorts. Ducks with impossibly big eyes littered both articles of clothing, causing Katara to shudder slightly. Her eyes centered on Jet, "Is there something on my face?"

He looked slightly puzzled, "No…"

She crossed her arms across her chest, "Then you should stop staring."

Zuko held back a smirk at Jet's expression of surprise, "I don't think I heard you clearly. Boss wants me to take this…" he pointed a finger at Katara, "wench with me on an assassination mission?"

Katara glared at him," I never said I was comfortable with the arrangements either, you loser." She took a seat at the couch opposite him and crossed her legs, "So I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

Zuko clenched his fists tightly, "I don't recall asking for your opinion, brat."

She shrugged, "I figured since everyone was discussing feelings, I would join in. I don't recall ever listening to you in the past."

Zuko stood, tired of such humiliation. "Since you don't seem to have any respect for your superiors, perhaps I should teach it to you."

Katara smirked and remained seated, "I don't think your boss will be too happy if you injure me. Empty threats will get you nowhere."

Silence.

"Damn, Spirit." Jet jeered with a low whistle, "She's only been here for one day, and she managed to have you whipped. That is what I call a girl after my own heart."

Katara rolled her eyes, "Sorry, not interested," she said as she turned to the most rational member of the group. "I am not going _anywhere_ with that idiot."

"I'm afraid you have no choice!" Ty Lee said with a giggle, "Boss's orders."

Katara raised an eyebrow at the girl's cheerfulness, "O…k? Last time I checked, he was your boss, not mine."

"I suggest you learn how to hold your tongue, girl." Zuko hissed, "Remember that Boss is the only one who wants to keep you alive-"

"And once I outlive my usefulness, you will personally slit my throat." she finished, "You know, you're about the least original person I've met."

Zuko scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're the most annoying, witless, unattractive-"

"You're one to talk!" Katara seethed, "At least I'm not the one wearing such a freaky mask. I bet you're hiding your repulsive face!"

There was a pregnant pause. Jet and Ty Lee looked at each other, one amused, the other apprehensive. Zuko was attempting to calm down, to no avail. "Get out."

Katara had a feeling that she had gone too far. Against her better judgment, she continued. "Aww. Did I hit a soft spot? I'll bet-"

Zuko got up once again, and grabbed Katara's wrist. He proceeded to drag her into his room and slammed her roughly against his wall causing her to cringe. "Did I hit a soft spot?"

When she didn't respond, he slammed her into the wall again with even more force causing her to cry out in pain. "Did I hit it this time?"

He slammed her into the wall a third time, with all the force he could muster. Her head connected loudly with the wall. There was absolutely no response now. Katara slid to the floor, a trail of blood indicating her body's decent to the ground.

The door flew opened revealing a shocked Ty Lee and Jet. "Spirit, what the hell?" said Jet, unable to believe his eyes. "What did you do to her?"

Zuko didn't give a response. He only stared silently at his hands, covered with the sticky red substance.

* * *

"_Where is she?" a young Zuko asked, "What did you do to her?"_

_A looming, indiscernible figure laughed coldly. "She's dead, Zuko. She's dead because you couldn't protect her." he laughed louder, "Weakling."_

"_You're lying!" he cried desperately, "All you ever do is lie! I hate you!"_

_A large flame made its way into his palm as his eyes filled with tears. "I wish you would just disappear!"_

_The figure grabbed his arm and forced him to his knees. "You need to learn respect, boy, and suffering will be your teacher…"_

_A scream echoed through the air along with the stench of searing flesh._

Zuko closed his eyes as he relished in the only recollection of his previous life. The only thing that he could remember the pain administered to his face. For some reason, he wasn't able to remember the appearance of his attacker.

He sighed and glanced at his prisoner, looking for signs of consciousness. Ty Lee had checked her pulse and laid her down on the couch in the living room. It was the first time he had seen her with a grave expression on her face. She had shakily informed him that the girl would live, and walked wordlessly out of his apartment along with Jet.

He didn't understand how she was the only one who could cause him to loose control. He was always cool and collected, seemingly emotionless. The mentioning of his scarred face had never caused so many emotions to well in his chest before. He would normally allow the comments to bounce off him.

He hated her for it.

A soft moan could be heard from the couch. Zuko watched as she slowly rose from the couch, holding her head in her hands. "You…almost killed me." She whispered, shakily, "…with your own two hands."

"Last time I checked," Zuko said, "I was an assassin."

"You almost **killed** me." she repeated, "Just … just like they were killed."

Zuko narrowed his eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"You're a murderer." she hissed, turning her head, "You wouldn't understand."

"I believe you've misunderstood." His voice was quiet, laced with venom, "I didn't ask to understand. I asked what the hell you were talking about."

She leaned in close to his body. He could smell the blood from her hair mixed with a faint scent of strawberries. He would never admit it to anyone, but her fragrance was… soothing. Instinctively he closed his eyes as it engulfed him. He could feel her fingers on the side of his face lifting the weight off…

His eyes snapped open, but it was too late. Katara had his mask in her hands. To his surprise, she didn't look disgusted or appalled. Her face mirrored emotions that he had never seen before. She reached out to trace his scar, but he roughly grabbed her hand.

"It's fitting, don't you think?" she whispered, no trace of malice in her eyes, "An assassin that taints his sword with the blood of others… is fated to carry a reminder of his horrendous deeds on his otherwise beautiful face…" she trailed off, and his grip became lax.

Zuko glared at her, "I don't need your pity."

Katara stood up and walked towards the bathroom, "I think you have a communication problem. I would never pity one who willingly chooses such a disgraceful path." she said dryly. "Truthfully, I believe it's less than what you deserve. But the knowledge that your face reflects that imperfection gives me a sense of satisfaction."

Zuko remained silent as she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. For some unexplainable reason, he found hatred a more agreeable emotion than pity.

* * *

Katara stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel off the rack to wrap around her rapidly dripping hair. She raised her eyebrow at the black robe hanging next to the towels. 

'_He seems to have a strange obsession with the color black.'_ She mused as she wrapped the robe around her small body.

She walked out of the bathroom and towards Zuko's bedroom to find him leaning casually against the wall. "I don't see why you have to wait for me like this. It's a little stalkerish…"

He didn't spare her the tiniest of glances before he responded, "We can't have you escaping again, can we?"

She crossed her arms across her chest in anger, "If I were to escape, do you think I would do it when you were conscious?"

He shrugged, "As you can see, we are six stories off the ground, so don't even try to jump."

"I noticed." Katara mumbled.

"Many of my associates have been employed recently due to your escape attempt." Zuko continued, as though there hadn't been any interruption at all. "Finally, the phones are tapped, so don't even attempt to make any calls."

Katara huffed, knowing that she had been defeated, "What if I get hungry?"

"Then by all means, find something to eat." He replied, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Don't expect me to do anything for you. This isn't a hotel."

Katara rolled her eyes, "Could have fooled me."

"One more thing," Zuko said, pushing his body off the wall with little effort, "You'll be sleeping here, with me."

Katara looked appalled, "There is no way I'm sleeping in the same bed as you! What if you… try to take advantage of me or something?"

Zuko rolled his eyes, "Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't dream of voluntarily touching such a repulsive creature such as yourself."

If Zuko had thrown a stone at her stomach, it would have the same effect as his harsh words. "I wouldn't dream of touching you either!"

"That's a very good thing to know." He said as he sat on the edge of the bed, "I wonder why I'm even engaging in a conversation with an adolescent."

She growled angrily, "Just turn around, will you! I need to change. Your robe smells like death."

It was a blatant lie. She actually thought the robe smelled quite nice. The aroma was a mixture of cinnamon and cocoa…

…But that was beside the point.

"Deal with it." Zuko said harshly, "I didn't ask you to wear it."

"Temper, temper." came her muffled voice from the other side of the room, "I better be careful before you slam me into a wall again."

He turned around in anger only to have a tanned, curvy body obscure his vision. He quickly turned the other way, his formally clenched fists loosening slightly. He didn't understand why the girl had to be so irritating. He always assumed that prisoners were submissive and fearful, nothing like the defiant young girl that stood opposite him.

"Ugh. These clothes are monstrosities!" Katara cried, "Nothing should **_ever_** be this cute. Not in a million years!"

She crawled into bed and glared at Zuko, "So are you just going to sit there and wait for me to fall asleep?"

He returned her glare," Unfortunately. I can't risk being immobilized by a chair again."

Katara stifled a giggle behind her hand and turned onto her stomach, "I got you good, didn't I?"

Zuko scowled and turned away from her, "Just go to bed."

* * *

Andi-Chan here! So what'd you think? Any speculations yet? There shouldn't be since I haven't delved deep enough into the plot. I want your honest opinion. I don't allow flames if you haven't noticed. They happen to be one of my many pet peeves. I send my gratitude to all of my reviewers. Please continue to R&R Memory Lane! 

Andichan


	4. Part I: Understanding

Warning: There is a fight scene (at last) but unfortunately, it's a bit violent. If you have a weak stomach, I suggest you skip it. Also, the scene changes will be indicated by the letters M and L because the rulers in the Edit/Preview window weren't working.

**Chapter 4 **

**Understanding**

_"**Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand."**_

**-ML-**

'_I'm thirsty.' An eight-year-old Katara mused as she slowly sat up in bed, clutching her teddy bear's arm in her small fist. She had a strange habit of waking up in the middle of the night and using the restroom or drinking a glass of water in the middle of the night._

'_I don't care if Sokka decides to make fun of me for it.' she decided as she hopped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. "And if he does, I'll tell everyone that he talks in his sleep…"_

_She walked stealthily down the hallway having mastered the art of secrecy over the years. 'I wonder why mom and dad sent me to sleep so early today. They always let me stay up until I'm tired.'_

_Her parents had been acting differently as of late. Sometimes when they thought she was asleep she would press her ear to their door and hear them arguing late into the night. It unnerved her slightly because her parents **never **fought._

_She was hoping that it was some kind of stage that parents went through. She kept telling herself that it would be over soon, and things would be back to normal, but it had lasted for at least three months._

_Whenever she would ask her brother about it, he would simply tell her that she worried too much. Nevertheless, she could see a flicker of worry mirrored in his eyes. _

_She shrugged off her feelings of foreboding and clutched the cold doorknob in her small hand. A sliver of light was already streaming from under the door, and indication that there was another person who wanted a midnight snack. She turned the knob and pushed the door open and walked inside. She tried to grab a glass from the cupboard, but she was too short._

'_I'll never admit that to Sokka, though, he'll have a field day.'_

_It was then that she remembered there must have been someone else in the kitchen. She turned around to ask for assistance, but what she saw caused her to drop her stuffed animal in shock._

_Two figures were sprawled on the ground surrounded by the eerie kitchen light, a pool of blood surrounding them._

_Somehow, Katara was able to move. She walked towards the motionless bodies and peered at their faces. Both of their eyes were closed and peaceful smiles graced their bloodied faces. _

_They were her parents._

_**-ML-**_

Katara sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Strange… she didn't hear her alarm sound. It seemed that whenever she had that dream, she was able to wake up instantly. Her eyes scanned her bedroom. It really was a pain in the neck to get up every morning to…

"So you've finally decided to wake up? You're such a lazy girl."

Her heart sank deep into her chest. Damn. She had forgotten she was in being held captive in _his_ house. "Well, I'm not the early to bed, early to rise type. I need beauty rest."

Zuko smirked, "I won't argue with that."

Katara huffed and got out of bed. Never in her life had she met someone so infuriating… so arrogant. "I suggest you put up some sort of barrier. You know, with your odd sleeping habits and all."

Her face burned red. She remembered when Aang used to sleep over at her house. Somehow, although they slept in their respective sleeping bags, Katara would always end up closer to him than she was the previous night. That didn't bother her in the slightest, seeing as it was Aang. But the fact that she had slept close to a killer sent chills down her spine

"You were the one who suggested the arrangement in the first place." Katara pointed out, turning her face so he couldn't see her flaming face. "So if I were you, I wouldn't complain."

He shrugged, "I guess I'm going to have to take _two_ showers today."

Katara growled and walked over to his side of the bed, "_You_ have to take two showers? I guess that means I have to take five. I don't want your murderous disposition to rub off on me."

He shrugged again, "Then, by all means, do it. I don't know how that concerns me."

She clenched her fists so tightly that she almost drew blood, "You're infuriating!"

"And you're disgusting," he said simply, lifting himself from his position on the bed, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take that shower now."

"How does that concern me exactly?" Katara mocked.

"I'm need to change clothes, so unless-"

Katara's face heated up once more "Unless nothing!" she jumped back on the bed and pressed her face into the blanket. "Proceed."

She could hear the sound of fabric rustling as he removed his clothes. Unlike many girls in her grade, she had never seen a guy shirtless in the flesh. It wasn't that she _wanted _to specifically see him without a shirt… but she was a little curious.

"I bet you're extremely scrawny under that shirt…" came her muffled voice from behind him, "That's probably why you want me to turn around."

That wasn't what she was thinking, of course. Although she didn't know much about boys (she refused to think of him as a man), she knew that with a lot of exercise their muscles became defined.

"Or maybe you have an ugly scar on your chest…or-"

The bathroom door slammed shut shaking Katara out of her stupor. What in the world was she thinking? This was the very person who murdered people without a second thought, herself being one of them. Even if he was male, he was the last person she should be curious about.

The shrill ring of Zuko's cell phone caused a chill to go down her spine. She looked towards the bathroom door. Zuko was obviously still showering. He wouldn't mind if she just…

Ok, she _knew_ he'd mind. That was why she decided to do it.

She flipped his phone open and pressed the cold metal to her ears. "Hello. This is Z-" she paused. It would probably be better if she called him by his codename. "This is Spirit's house. He's currently not available. Is there any way I can help you?"

"Katara," an eerie voice on the other line hissed, "I'm glad to see you're comfortable with the arrangements."

The voice sent chills up her spine, "W-who is this?"

"Someone who needs your help to carry out justice."

"You're Zuko's boss aren't you?" she demanded, her bravery slowly coming back to her, "Why the hell would I help you? You're the one who got me into this mess in the first place!"

Boss chuckled, "You are definitely Annabelle's daughter. I'd recognize that fiery temper anywhere."

Katara's eyes widened, "You knew my mother?"

"I knew Richard as well. They both made great contributions to the Agency." He let out an exaggerated sigh, "It's a pity that your brother had to run away. He would have been a great asset."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she cried angrily, "Sokka…he's been dead a long time."

Boss laughed again, "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. He's alive."

"I don't know what sick game you're trying to play, but I know that my parents would have never helped you and neither will I."

"You _will_ help me." He said, his voice icy. "There's no doubt about that."

Katara laughed dryly, "What makes you think that I'll help you? I'll _never_ stoop that low!"

"Oh, but you will," He said simply, "because I know who killed your parents."

She felt as though her heart had stopped. "…What do you want me to do?"

"You will use your powers to assist Spirit on his mission."

She raised an eyebrow, "What powers?"

"Don't play dumb with me, girl." his voice was laced with anger, "I know you escaped Spirit's room. You're already aware of them."

"But… I was desperate. I didn't know what I was doing at the time…I-" she stopped, thinking over his words, "How the hell do you know how I escaped?"

"You didn't think I'd leave such an important job up to one agent, did you?"

She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, "You're having me watched?"

"You're a very clever girl, and I don't give compliments lightly. If I didn't, you would surely find a way out and into the wrong hands."

"I will not be objectified by a monster like-"

A wet hand grabbed her wrist and wrestled the phone from her hand. She looked up to find a livid Zuko looming over her. "What made you think that you could touch my phone?"

She didn't answer him. He watched as she pulled her arm forcefully from his grasp and walked out of his room.

**-ML-**

Zuko closed the door as he heard the shower turn on. He was grateful for the silence that had fallen over the house for the most part of the day. Although he was still slightly angry, he didn't confront her about her phone conversation with Boss. He had no idea what he had said to her to make her finally keep her mouth shut, but she didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It was strange that Boss took an interest in the girl; there was nothing special about her save her enormous mouth and her resourcefulness. He always referred to his ventures with detachment. However, as soon as Zuko had captured her, his voice sounded slightly enthusiastic.

He would have continued to walk the length of the hallway in silent contemplation, but something in his line of vision stopped him in his tracks. The door to the extra room was absent from its frame. Stranger still was the fact that the hinges were missing as well. He didn't know why it hadn't come to his attention yet. Kneeling down, he inspected the wooden doorframe. Oddly enough, he could see traces of water on the floor.

Suddenly, a thought came to his mind. He walked back to his room and began opening the drawers on his dresser until he came across the girl's work uniform. He wrinkled his nose with distaste at the flamboyantly colored article of clothing before rubbing the cloth between his forefinger and thumb. Sure enough, a small drop of water tricked down the length of his arm.

"I knew you had a strange obsession with black clothing, but this is too weird."

Zuko hastily stuffed the clothing inside the drawer and turned sharply towards the voice. The girl in question was leaning casually against the bathroom doorframe, an eyebrow raised in question.

Zuko assumed his trademark scowl. "I was just-"

Katara waved him off. "Look, I don't even want to know. I just want you to turn around so I can change."

He sat on the other side of the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know why you even bother. The body of a twelve-year-old is hardly anything to hide."

Katara growled angrily, "I'm sixteen."

"It's quite a rarity to see a sixteen-year old with the maturity of a twelve-year-old, don't you think?"

Katara bit back the vicious comebacks she had in the back of her mind. "If you're done insulting me, can we be on our way?" she fingered the odd clothing, "When I find the person who picked these clothes for me, there were be _hell_ to pay."

Zuko turned around to see a Hello Kitty clad Katara. It was his turn to raise his eyebrow in amusement. "Let's go."

**-ML-**

"Ok, so let me get this straight. We're going to break into high-security building, run all the way to the top floor, and assassinate the president?" Katara asked skeptically, "How in the world do you expect to pull that off without getting caught?"

"I don't expect anything." He said simply and they continued to run down the empty street, "I already know what I'm capable of."

Katara rolled her eyes, "How _modest _of you."

Zuko suddenly stopped in his tracks, "We're here."

"I still don't understand how I'll be useful to you. I don't even know how to control my so called powers."

Zuko shrugged, "Personally, I believe you're worthless, but regrettably the decision's not up to me." Katara seemed ready to retort, but he silenced her with a hand. "We had an infiltration team give us the key to the employee entrance. It's a late night, so if we're lucky, there shouldn't be any witnesses. It should be quick and easy, unless you do something to screw it up."

Katara decided to ignore his comment, "Let's get this over with. If I'm in your presence longer than I have to be, I'll go insane."

Together they walked towards the back of the building in silence. Katara could feel the uncertainty rise in her chest. She couldn't believe that she was going to help him_ murder _someone; it went against all of her morals. She was no better than the arrogant, aggravating, son of a-

"If you go any slower, we'll miss the deadline."

She restrained herself for the umpteenth time as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. It wasn't long until Katara's muscles began to ache from the numerous flights of stairs they had traveled. Who would voluntarily put themselves through so much torture?

Katara almost sighed relief when Zuko stopped in front of two silver double doors. He pulled out the key and promptly unlocked the door revealing a long, elaborately decorated hallway. They walked in silence down the hallway until they reached a door with a silver handle.

Zuko placed his hand on the doorknob, and Katara could tell that his eyes were closed behind his mask. "We're here." He turned the knob and pushed the door open, allowing him and Katara to make their entrance.

"Ah, Spirit." said an overly confident voice, "I've been _expecting _you."

Katara could feel Zuko tense slightly beside her. In all honesty, she didn't blame him. It seemed as though at least ten bodyguards surrounded the perimeter of the room, each armed with his own gun. Every last one of them was clad in black, save a teenaged boy standing next to the president's desk.

The boy looked in their direction with sad grass-green eyes, "Grab the girl. Kill the assassin."

Zuko placed his hands on the hilts of his sword. "What makes you think this is going to be easy?"

Katara gasped in horror as one of the bodyguards held her tightly against his chest. She could feel the cool metal being pushed forcefully against her temple. "Make one move, and the girl dies."

Zuko smirked, "What makes you think she's worth anything to me? Kill her if you want."

"Bluffing won't help you, _Spirit_," the boy said calmly. "We are already aware of how valuable she is to your organization. Drop your weapons, or she dies."

For a split second, Katara believed he wasn't going to oblige. He wouldn't jeopardize the mission over her life. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the death that would undoubtedly follow, hoping that it would be quick and painless.

However, to her utter disbelief, Katara heard the telltale sound of Zuko's swords hitting the floor. She looked up in horror as the bodyguards cocked their guns and aimed to kill.

She should have been relieved that she would finally return to normality. It should have brought joy to her heart that another menace to society was about to be silenced. She would never have to be in his presence again. However, as she helplessly looked on a feeling of dread washed over her. If they killed him, she would never discover the name of her parents' murderer. She would undoubtedly lose the only link she had to her missing brother as well. These were the reasons to which she attributed her dread. However, she knew there was some other reason, this one being the most selfish of them all.

She didn't want him to die for her sake.

She closed her eyes, _'Please, don't let him die…'_

A collective gasp traveled through the room as every gun transformed into a block of ice, causing the bodyguards to promptly drop them. Zuko was the first to recover, picking up his twin Dao swords, and positioning himself to kill. "I repeat: what makes you think this is going to be easy?"

Katara let out the breath she'd been holding, a peaceful smile on her face. _'Thank you.' _she thought before passing out.

"Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me," The boy said in disgust, shaking his head. "A cockroach like you deserves to be exterminated."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, though it wasn't visible through the mask. "Interesting comparison."

The president growled impatiently, "Hurry up and kill him so I can back to work."

"Very well," the boy said, "Kill him."

The bodyguards all charged towards Zuko at the same time to attack him. He resisted rolling his eyes through his mask. Amateurs. This wasn't going to take long at all. He extended his arms on both sides of his body and, at the exact moment, he turned a semi-circle, successfully slitting at least half of their throats. The remaining bodyguards backed away from him, and positioned their bodies in the correct stances.

"Alright, let's make this a fair fight." Zuko sheathed his swords and mimicked their stances. "Not like it'll make any difference."

A burly bodyguard walked up to him with an irritating smirk on his strong features, "The only thing that has allowed you to get this far was your luck, boy. However, the fun ends here."

Zuko nodded, "Indeed it does. Though I can hardly call it fun."

The man's face screwed up in anger as he aimed his fist directly at Zuko's face. Zuko dodged easily and grabbed his arm with his hands, flipping the man over his shoulder. Before he could get back up, Zuko pressed his foot against his neck. "Skill is what got me this far," Zuko hissed, 'though I can't say the same thing for you."

A sickening crack resonated through the room as Zuko took his life. A smaller bodyguard charged at him, his fist aimed at his heart. This time Zuko grabbed his wrist and twisted it. The man screamed in agony as he dropped the knife he was holding in his small hands. "Men who fight without honor can hardly be called men at all."

Zuko picked it up in his hands and stabbed the man through the heart with his own weapon and he fell to the ground. "It seems as though I've overestimated you all." He threw one of his Dao swords in the direction of a bodyguard and successfully pinned him to the wall by his neck. The remaining two bodyguards stood back to back, horrified expressions on their faces.

Zuko feigned a yawn," It's a pity we couldn't play for longer, my arms could use the exercise."

He threw his other sword at the two bodyguards, instantly puncturing their lungs. He walked slowly towards the dead bodies and retrieved his swords, returning them to their respective sheaths. "Now, Mr. President, where were we?"

The president's eyes shifted towards the young boy, "Well? Aren't you going to do something?"

The boy didn't even spare him a glance, "We'll let you have this one victory, Spirit. But next time we meet, don't expect me to spare your pathetic life."

"Rather arrogant yourself, aren't you?" Zuko scoffed, "You think I'm going to let you escape?"

The boy walked toward a large glass window and pressed his palm against it. To Zuko's surprise, a hole the size of the boy's body appeared in the window. "Although I'd love to stay and chat, I have a report to deliver."

He jumped through the hole in the wall leaving a very angry Zuko behind.

**-ML-**

Zuko walked into his room, a towel wrapped around his waist. He stared at the young girl presently curled up in his bed. 'How can such a tiny person cause so much trouble?' he wondered as he opened his dresser drawer.

"You killed them all, didn't you?"

As he turned to her, he could see that her eyes were closed. "I did what I had to do to finish the assignment."

"Do you always take showers after you kill?"

Zuko sneered, "I don't see how that is any of your business, girl."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to wash your swords instead? They are the instruments that cause death and destroy lives. Why don't you-"

Zuko sighed and bit back the vicious comments on the tip of his tongue. "It doesn't concern you."

He could see that her small frame was shaking. "Is it so hard to answer a simple question?"

"My body can be cleansed, but no matter how many times I clean my swords, they will always be dirty." He said quietly, "You going to use that against me?"

"No." she whispered, "I think I understand."

"What exactly do you understand?"

"That under your cold exterior," she paused, pulling the blanket closer to her body, "…you're suffering. Every murder you commit is breaking your soul apart. That's why you have to find some constant in your life; a sanctuary in which you can wash away all your sins if only for just a moment.

"You don't enjoy your job at all do you? But something deep in your soul keeps telling you that you have to continue. You're searching for something… and this is the only way to obtain it, right?"

She took his silence as assent, "You know," she laughed dryly, tears falling down her tan face, "We're more alike than you think, Spirit."

He narrowed his eyes, "You don't know anything about me."

She smiled sadly, "I don't need to."

**-ML-**

In the shadows, a young boy flipped his phone open. "Aang, it's Haru." He pulled the phone away from his ears slightly as his associate yelled in excitement. "Tell Sokka that I found her."

More cheers. "However, I wasn't able to rescue her. Regrettably, her captor was stronger than I thought." He sighed, suddenly disappointed in himself, "I'll admit that he seems like a formidable opponent, but I'm positive we'll rescue Katara soon enough. Then we'll crush the cockroaches who captured her."

TBC…

Andi-chan here! Hope it wasn't too violent… Anyways, if you have any questions feel free to ask! See you next chapter!

Storm-of-insanity: Zuko wears his always mask on missions. He wore it at home because he didn't want Katara to see his face. His hair is second season (I like his hair cut better). As for the bending question… I can't answer right now.


	5. Part I: Trama

A/N: Be prepared for some… graphic violence. (In my opinion, it's not that bad, but you never know.)

**Chapter Five**

**Trauma**

**_The shock of any trauma, I think changes your life. It's more acute in the beginning and after a little time you settle back to what you were. –Alex Lifeson_**

**-ML- **

It was midday and Katara was bored out of her mind. She couldn't understand how Zuko could live without any type of entertainment. It was maddening.

"Get up. We're leaving."

Katara jumped slightly from her position on the couch, "Well, since you asked so nicely…" she mumbled, "What's the occasion? Are we going to slaughter a classroom of kindergarteners for the hell of it?"

Zuko chose to ignore her comment, and pulled her up roughly to face him, "I'm not in the mood for your games." he hissed, "It's in your best interest not to anger me any further."

Katara bit her lip from the pain and nodded meekly before pulling her wrist from his tight grasp. "Where are we going?" she asked cautiously.

Zuko bit back to urge to hit her, "Does it really matter?"

Her bright blue eyes looked calmly into his. "It would be …nice to know where I'm going."

"It would be _nice _if you stopped asking so many damn questions."

Katara could feel her resolve crumbling. Last night she had come a little closer to understanding him. Today, however, he had reverted to hiding inside his impenetrable shell. It was unclear why she wanted to delve into the mind of her captor; he was a murderer after all. He was the embodiment of everything she hated about the world. But despite the fact that she despised him, something about him piqued her curiosity.

Katara crossed her arms across her chest, "Fine. Don't answer."

She followed him out of the apartment and down the stairs. Her thighs throbbed in reminiscence. _'Ever since I was brought here, I've had bad experiences with stairs.'_

It was strange that Zuko had chosen to take the stairs when the elevator was clearly the quicker option. She was beginning to wonder if he was afraid of technology.

'_Or maybe he doesn't want to associate with people.'_ she mused, _'He wants to carry his burden on his own.'_

Katara shook her head. Why in the world was she still thinking about him? Curiosity had got her into this mess in the first place; it would only cause more chaos and confusion…

"Get in."

Zuko's harsh voice brought her back to her senses. How could she have forgotten what an insufferable prick he was? She opened the door to the passenger seat and sat down, closing the door behind her. Her predicament was what she needed to be thinking about, not her jerk of a kidnapper.

It was clear that she wasn't going to be disposed of anytime soon seeing as the suspicious organization still needed her "powers." To her knowledge, the only thing she could do was turn objects into any state of water at will. In her opinion, it wasn't a very useful skill. Unless there was more to it…

"We're here."

Katara squinted into the distance, "Where is here exactly?"

"The Agency."

Katara quirked an eyebrow at this, as she stepped out of the vehicle, "That's so _creative._ You might as well call it "The Organization" or " The House of Assassins. Did your creepy boss think of that or-"

Zuko silenced her with a vicious glare, "Listen, girl. I've tolerated your disrespect and delusion of grandeur because I regrettably have to keep you under my watch." His face was suddenly devoid of all emotion, his eyes boring into her own, "However, Boss and I are two different people. In his eyes, you aren't even human. You're only an object, a pawn in the grand scheme of things."

He turned from her and began walking in the direction of the Agency, "If you're smart, you'll choose your words wisely before they come out of that disgusting mouth of yours."

Katara hesitantly followed after him. An uncharacteristic fear gripped her heart, making her legs feel like lead. "Are you a pawn as well?"

He stopped and rapped the wooden door twice. "Don't even try to put us in the same category; the difference between us is too great."

Before she had time to mull over his strange words, the door opened revealing an eager looking young boy with glassy eyes. Something about the boy seemed familiar to Katara, but she couldn't discern what. The boy cocked his head at her causing Katara to slap herself mentally for being so rude.

He led Zuko through the doorframe, a strange smile on his face. Katara hesitantly trailed behind, keeping her distance from the creepy boy. He continued to lead until they reached the entrance of a long hallway.

"Welcome to our Agency, Miss Katara."

She gave him a shaky smile. "Thanks… I guess."

As she walked past the boy, she felt his hand slip something into her back pocket. She looked back at the boy, a quizzical expression gracing her features. He grinned ear-to-ear and winked at her before returning to his post at the door.

She decided not to worry about it too much until she was back in Zuko's apartment. If she gave any indication that she had interacted with the young boy, it would definitely rouse suspicion.

Zuko knocked once and waited for a response. Loud footsteps could be heard from the other side of the oak door. He prepared himself for Ty Lee's customary embrace, but it never came.

"Spirit, I see you brought the chick."

Katara narrowed her eyes at the arrogant young man blocking the entrance, "I have a name, you know."

"Jet," Zuko said through gritted teeth, "It would be in your best interest to get the hell out of my way."

A flicker of fear flashed through Jet's eyes as he allowed him to pass, "You PMSing or something?"

Katara rolled her eyes at his immaturity and followed Zuko into the room. In her honest opinion, it wasn't all that special. She had expected an extremely lavish headquarters with high tech-gadgets and huge computer screens. Although the room was larger than the average meeting room, there were no traces of technology. The only object present in the meeting room was a large polished table with matching seats.

Katara stood as Zuko took a seat, not wanting to make herself too comfortable. She was surrounded by ruthless murders; not business associates. If she made any wrong moves…

"Take a seat, Miss Katara."

She gulped silently, as she sat down at Zuko's left. This was the first time she had ever been in such a nerve-wracking situation. She refused to look up; if she did, she would surely crack under the pressure. "Thank you…sir."

Zuko bit back the urge to smirk. He had finally succeeded in scaring her into submission.

"What is the purpose of this meeting, Boss?" he asked, "Why do you require the presence of this girl?"

There was a flicker of amusement in Boss's eyes, "I did not anticipate the success of your last mission, Spirit. I knew that the enemy tipped off the president."

Zuko narrowed his eyes, "So, you sent me on a suicide mission."

"Suicide is such a harsh word. It was more of an experiment." He paused, placing the curve of his face in his palm. "The president used to be an associate of mine. I'm afraid he's as corrupted as they come. He's indirectly killed many people to secure his position in power."

Zuko looked unconvinced, "Where are you going with this?"

"Don't interrupt me." Boss's sharp eyes glared at him sharply before he continued, "After the president received the tip, he ordered his dogs to protect him, seeing as they were the ones who had killed all of his competition.

"I suppose our enemies knew I'd send one of my best agents to complete the assignment, so they decided to send one of their own to collect information. They didn't expect that we had a secret weapon." He looked at Katara, who refused to meet his eyes. "Although Miss Katara couldn't control her powers, she prevented them from taking Spirit's life allowing him to complete the assignment.

"Though their associate could have done something to stop the massacre, he didn't lift a finger to help the president. This leads me to believe that we aren't dealing with harmful pacifists as I originally thought. Perhaps they had a personal vendetta against the president and his bodyguards for murdering all of those people and tipped him off for their own purposes.

"One thing is certain; we can not take these people lightly under any circumstances. It will undoubtedly lead to our defeat."

"That's all very interesting Boss, but that doesn't explain why you need the girl."

Boss gave him a lazy smile. "I've decided to send her on another assignment."

Zuko clenched his fists in fury, "I refuse to go on another assignment with that girl. She's only going to slow me down-"

He narrowed his eyes in warning, "Hold your tongue, I didn't say you were going with her."

"She's not capable of doing anything alone. Surely you don't expect-"

Boss laughed, "Of course she's not going alone; she's going with Jet."

Zuko stood up, knocking his chair over in the process, "You don't think I'm capable of watching over her anymore? Do you think I'm too weak?"

"I thought you didn't want her to slow you down." Boss looked at his fingernails, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow in amusement, "She's still under your care, I just felt that you needed a little..._vacation_."

Zuko sat down, crossing his arms over his chest. What was going on? Boss hardly ever gave Jet assignment because of his abrasiveness. There had to be some other reason…

"Um…excuse me."

Boss turned towards the direction of the timid voice. "What is it Miss Katara?"

Katara suddenly seemed very interested in her shoes. "What kind of mission am I going on?"

"I want you and Jet to deliver a …_message_ to an associate of mine."

Katara let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. It was only a message. It was a relief that she didn't have to commit some heinous crime. "Oh. What kind of message are we going to-"

"We're going."

Katara looked at Zuko in surprise, "I thought he had to give me information about the-"

"I _said _we're going."

Katara sighed in exasperation as she stood up and followed the angry teem out the door. "For a faithful dog of your boss, you don't seem to show him much respect." Katara huffed and placed her hands on her hips, "I honestly don't know why you are making such a big deal about this. I'm only delivering a message. How hard can it actually be?"

Zuko didn't answer, he only continued to stalk through the long hallway. "Even if it is dangerous, I don't think that's any of your business."

They were outside now, the warm sunshine beating relentlessly against their skin. Katara shielded her eyes from the its persistent rays, "If I didn't know any better, I would think that you were jealous."

_That_ got his attention. He whirled around angrily, his eyes burning holes through her face more effectively than the sun ever could. "What did you say?"

Katara stood her ground, "I mean, your boss must have given me and Jet the better mission."

Zuko laughed dryly, his fists still clenched in anger. "You are unbelievably naïve! Do you honestly think Boss would bother to send you here so you could deliver a message? He could have easily sent someone in the Agency to complete such a menial task."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

Zuko smirked, stuffed his hands into his pockets and continued to walk towards his car. "Why don't you deliver your _message_ and find out for yourself?"

**-ML-**

Katara paced nervously across the living room floor, waiting for the arrival of her partner. Zuko had long since disappeared into his room with an irritating smirk on his face, reinforcing her feelings of anxiety. For as long as she had known the arrogant assassin, he'd never been one to waste words. He knew what was going to transpire that night and, from his gestures, she knew it wouldn't agree with her.

It was understandable that he loved to watch her squirm, but she couldn't fathom why he had wanted to leave the Agency so suddenly. No matter what his boss ordered her to do, it wasn't his problem. Was he trying to protect her in a strange way?

Katara shook her head. He didn't give a damn about her! There was no way he would try to protect her if he wasn't given orders to do so. There was no way to explain it…

The doorbell rang, shaking her out of her stupor. She sighed and untangled her body from its position on the couch; there was no point in brooding over what was yet to come. The only thing left for her to do was to complete the assignment.

Her eyes followed Zuko's frame as he walked towards the door and unlocked it. Somehow, his expression wasn't as smug as she remembered. His eyes were narrowed slightly and his smirk seemed lopsided. Something had changed…

Jet seemed to notice it as well, seeing as his hands tightened around his Tiger's Head Hooks. "I'm glad to see that you are no longer having a hissy fit, Spirit."

Zuko grabbed a fistful of his shirt, "Take the girl and leave."

Jet smirked arrogantly, "Don't worry, I'll try return your girlfriend as good as new."

Katara jumped out off the couch and stalked over to the door, face contorted in rage, "I'm not some object that you can pass around, you jerk!"

Jet wrenched his shirt from Zuko's grasp, turning towards Katara. "So you're not taken?"

Katara rolled her eyes, "Just get me the hell out of here so we can get this stupid assignment over with!"

He watched in amusement as she stomped past him muttering curses under her breath. "Are you coming, or not?" she asked, an annoyed expression on her face. "God, men are such idiots…"

Jet gave a low whistle, "I've never seen a girl like that before. It's too bad that she'll never be the same after this assignment…"

"Good riddance." Zuko said simply before walking slowly in the direction of his bedroom, "Good…riddance."

It seemed that no matter how many times he uttered the phrase, be it in the comfort of his own quarters or in the recesses of his mind, it lacked authenticity.

**-ML-**

"What are we doing here?"

Katara was baffled. She had figured that the Agency targeted owners of successful organizations and flourishing businesses. However, the structure she was walking towards was neither a large building nor huge establishment; it was a house.

The house was two stories high and made entirely of brick save the vinyl lining on its sides. Red shutters adorned its windows along with silk curtains on the interior. Although it was a beautiful house, Katara felt slightly uneasy to stand before it. This was the place they were going to deliver a message and even though she had no idea what that meant at the moment, she had a feeling that it wasn't going to be good.

Jet knocked on the door with an arrogant smirk, "We are going to complete the assignment, and then we're going out for a drink to celebrate a job well done."

Katara raised an eyebrow, "Dream on."

He shrugged, "It was worth a try."

The door opened to reveal a young grinning woman with a protruding stomach. Katara stared unabashed at her; she was beautiful. Long brown locks cascaded down her back, ending just below the arch of her back. Her emerald green eyes seemed unusually bright.

"May I help you?"

Katara decided to let Jet do all the work, seeing as she was still in awe. She had seen many beautiful women in her life, but there was something about this particular woman that made her seem even more radiant. Her eyes wandered to the woman's stomach…

"I'm seven months pregnant."

Katara looked away from the woman, her face burning with embarrassment. "T-that's really wonderful…"

She didn't even have to look at her partner to see that he was trying to stifle a laugh, "We're here to deliver a message."

The woman smiled, "Well then, come on in. The mosquitoes are biting a lot this season…"

Katara nodded, her embarrassment ebbing slightly, "Thank you very much, Mrs. …"

"Just call me Ann." she shook her head, "My husband calls me by my full name just to annoy me."

Katara and Jet followed the woman through the doorframe into a well-furnished living room. "Would you like something to drink? I have some snacks stored in the fridge if you want any-"

Jet placed on hand on the handle of his hook blades, "I think you know why we're here. Your husband hasn't been…performing well as of late. He has made one of his associates very angry."

The woman cocked her head in confusion, "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. My husband is too kind to cause any sort of problem with his associates."

Jet chuckled, "I guess you don't know your husband very well."

Anger flashed briefly though the woman's eyes, "Well, if you're not his associate, then what kind of message could you possibly be delivering."

Jet kicked the woman roughly in the leg, causing her to fall over. Katara looked on in horror, "What the hell do you think you're doing, Jet? We're here to deliver a message."

Jet smiled sadistically, "This woman _is _the message."

He kicked her again, this time in the stomach. Ann screamed in agony, tears welling up in her eyes. Katara lunged at Jet, causing him to fall over as well. "Get away from here! Find somewhere safe to escape-"

Jet grabbed Katara's arm and flipped her over his shoulder. "I'm sorry to have to do this Katara, but you leave me no choice."

He walked towards her and attacked all of her pressure points, temporarily immobilizing her. "You can thank Ty Lee for that."

Katara watched helplessly as Jet kicked the woman repeatedly in the stomach, occasionally causing her to cough blood from her mouth. She could hear the woman scream in agony, begging her to help her. But no matter how hard she tried to concentrate, she couldn't use her powers.

"Jet, please!" Katara pleaded, still struggling to gain her mobility to no avail, "You're destroying two lives. Her child has yet to see the world! What harm could an unborn baby cause?"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Jet brought his fist back and brutally hit Ann's face resulting in a sickening _crunch_ that echoed through the house. He repeated his action, battering her face until she was hardly recognizable. She stopped struggling.

He then pulled his hook blades out of their sheaths, and sliced her head clean off her shoulders. It rolled slightly to the side, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

It was then, in the gruesome presence of a dead body, that Katara lost all control.

She looked at her murderer of a partner, her bright blue eyes dull. Her pupils began to dilate as she somehow lifted herself off the ground. She charged at him, running as fast as she possibly could, a dome of ice encasing her fist. Jet moved out of the way, earning a scratch on the side of his face as a result. She charged at him again, her speed increasing considerably and managed to land a punch on his tan face, causing him to soar into the wall.

Jet stood up shakily, and spit blood from his mouth. "So this is the power Boss wishes to acquire, huh? I don't know why he even bothered to-"

An arrow of pure ice embedded itself in his forearm, causing him to scream in pain. He dodged the remaining projectiles with difficulty, using his sword to protect himself from injury.

Katara closed her eyes, turning Jet's hook swords into water at his feet. "Damn, I suppose I spoke too soon."

She ran towards him, fists raised for another attack. "However, Boss prepared me for this…"

"Good night, Katara." Before she could react, Jet pulled a strange gun out of his pocket and shot her in the leg, "Your dreams will not be pleasant I assure you."

As Katara attempted to cling to the last of her consciousness, she glanced at the decapitated woman one last time, memorizing the structure of her face to the curve of her stomach. She wanted the image to imprint itself into her mind and haunt her dreams; it would serve as punishment for her helplessness.

**-ML-**

_A young Zuko could feel himself being shaken awake by his mother, Ursa. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and sat up. "Ugh…mom! Why did you have to wake me up so early? I have to train today."_

_His mother smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, Zuko. I just wanted to say goodbye, I may not see you for a while."_

_Her words seemed to cause her lethargic son to awaken. "Where are you going mom?_

_Her eyes seemed to glimmer with hatred for a few seconds, "I have to deliver a message to your dear father."_

_Zuko stared at his mother, face screwed up in confusion. "But father in his room. Why don't you give it to him there."_

"_Your father has been gone from our lives for a long time…"_

_He hugged his blanket tightly to his chest, "I don't think I understand."_

_She laughed, "Just do me a favor and never forget who you truly are."_

"_What do you mean by-?"_

_She pressed a finger to his lips, "Shhh. Let me sing to you."_

_He pouted, telling her that he was too old for that type of thing. However, he secretly wanted to hear his mother's soothing voice once again. _

_She began to run her fingers through his silky, causing him to relish in the feeling and close his eyes. It was then that she began to sing:_

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arrive  
Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to be free._

_Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly  
Into the light of a dark black night._

_Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly  
Into the light of a dark black night._

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."_

_Ursa smiled at her little boy as she pulled the covers over his head. It would be the last time she would ever see him again…_

Zuko replayed the scene over and over again in his mind, trying to memorize every detail. It was a fragment of his memory that he had never been able to recall, up until today.

Why was it that whenever he was around the girl, he would remember fragments of his prior life? He had already surmised that she was the strangest person he had ever encountered, but how was she able to do this to him? He had delivered many messages in his career, and nothing roused his memories as much as when Boss had mentioned the assignment. Something about the way his boss was acting suddenly seemed suspicious.

A harsh knock on the door shook him out of his stupor. He reluctantly jumped off his bed and walked towards his front door, placing his hand on the doorknob. Behind the door, he could hear high-pitched screams and angry shouts. Curious, he turned the knob and opened the door to reveal two familiar figures, one considerably battered and pallid.

He felt a body being shoved into his arms forcefully. "She's all yours, Spirit. I swear, that girl's a demon!"

Jet walked away, closing the door behind him. Zuko narrowed his eyes for a second, before letting go of Katara. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and her blue eyes were dull and wide. She looked at him, her face expressionless. "Up until now, I've never experienced death up close. Each and every time you've killed someone; I've either been unconscious or in a dark surrounding. I-I never knew…it would feel this way."

"That's what happens when you're naïve." Zuko said, smirking. "The world is not entirely comprised of good people. Someone has to do their dirty work."

"What the hell do you know!" she suddenly screamed, "You're the killer! You didn't have to watch someone die, knowing you couldn't do anything about it…"

Zuko remained silent, watching the girl from the corner of his eye, "What of it? She was going to die, whether you were present or not. You wouldn't have had the power to save her anyway."

She threw her hands in the air in anger, "It doesn't matter! Your organization took the order to assassinate an innocent civilian!"

"No one is innocent; I thought you had learned that by now."

She stared adamantly into his gold eyes, "She was pregnant…her child will never be able to be born into this world."

Zuko shrugged, "That child should be thankful."

Katara slid down the wall, holding her head in her hands. "I can't do this anymore. I want to go home."

"That is not your decision to make."

Katara looked up and Zuko could see the tears streaming down her tanned face, "How do you do this, day after day? How do you watch people die, just so you can earn a living? Can't you feel your soul ripping apart? Do you believe you should be punished?"

Zuko turned to her, his face impassive once again. "Until I regain my memory, nothing matters to me anymore. I don't know how I am able to kill without remorse for the victim. I know nothing of my past life. All I know is that I will continue to kill until I can remember who I am."

"Is that sob story supposed to make me feel sorry for you?" Katara hissed. "You don't deserve to live…any of you."

Zuko scoffed, "Ever the hypocrite. Didn't you agree to carry out these assignments because there is something you are searching for?"

Katara stared blankly at her feet. "Why don't you kill me, then?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, "I wasn't ordered to."

"Please?" she whispered, holding her knees to her chest. "I just can't take it anymore. I can't stand to watch people suffer any longer. I don't want to become your boss's instrument…"

"It's too late for that."

"When Jet killed her, it was like a lost a part of myself. I lost control and became something I'm not proud of… I-I don't want to become that person ever again. I don't want to feel to subject myself to that pain."

"Pathetic." Zuko whispered before he walked away from her, not knowing if his words were spoken for her sake or his own. "That's why you'll never amount to anything but a tool for murder."

She looked up, face shining with tears, "I suppose we _are _similar after all, Spirit."

Zuko closed his eyes and exhaled, "No, we're not."

She clenched her fists, "Why don't you want to share your pain with anyone? Why do you insist on pushing others away?"

"Because," Zuko whispered, "it is a burden I wish to carry on my own."

Katara watched as he walked into his room, shutting the door behind him. Wrapping her arms tighter around her knees, knowing that she was unable to cry anymore. She turned to look at the patch of carpet beside her thigh and noticed a white piece of paper sticking out of her pocket. Curious, she pulled it out of her pocket and unfolded it with shaking hands. She recognized it as the paper she had received from the boy at the Agency. It read:

Katara,

We hope you are safe. Be very careful and wary of Boss and try not to do anything too rash, though we know this is difficult for you. We are currently trying to figure out a way to save you from your current predicament, so don't lose hope. We cannot disclose our identity, though I assure you, we know you very well and would never do anything to put you into danger. Be especially careful around that assassin you are housing with, he's very dangerous. Dispose of this letter as soon as you read it so they don't become aware of our actions, though I'm sure they are aware of our existence.

Take care,

Your very good friends

Katara smiled for the first time in a long time. She was finally going to find a way out of this hellhole.

**TBC…**

**Answers and Clarifications**

Storm-of-insanity: I hate dissections as well, but unfortunately they are for a grade and I have to do them… shudders Anyways, as I hope I have reiterated, Katara was unconscious during the fight and therefore unable to see the slaughter… Sorry about the confusion, I hope I never do that again.

Rakshaka: How did you come up with that screen name? I really like it. Haru's men were not apart of the slaughter, the president's men were. He had to warn the president so that he could see a display of Zuko's power. I hope I didn't confuse you too much. Thank you so much for your comment as well as keeping me on my toes!

Andi-chan here! Sorry for the long wait, I have been busy with music camp. Yes, music camp. I really hoped you liked this chapter! Please feel free to ask questions and pose speculations. As you know constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are not! Thank you for reading!

P.S. The song Ursa sings is called "Blackbird" sung by the Beatles (Love them!).

Andi-chan


	6. Part I: Hesitation

**Chapter 6: Hesitation**

* * *

"**_I have no hesitation to use force. I believe the threat is real."_ -Mary Landrieu **

* * *

_A young Zuko was lying languidly in the tall grass. He could hear footsteps coming in his direction, but didn't bother to open his eyes. _

_The footsteps stopped. "Zuko, what are you doing! We're supposed to be training for our first assignment! No wonder you're so weak!"_

_Zuko sighed agitatedly" I **was **resting, but you had to come and wake me up didn't you? Why so you feel that you have to be the boss of everyone when I'm clearly older."_

_A sharp kick to his side caused him to cry out in pain, "Because, I'm stronger."_

_He rolled his eyes, while holding his stomach, "What you have are delusions of grandeur."_

_The girl crossed her arms, smiling deviously, "You're just jealous."_

_Zuko looked up at her in surprise. He rarely saw her break out of her secluded shell. Most of the time she would be in everyone's shadow, commenting occasionally. "Jealous of what? What can you do, anyway?"_

"_This."_

_She jumped on top of him tickling his sides unmercifully. Zuko tried, in vain, to hold in his laughter. "O-okay! I yield! I yield!"_

_The girl moved her hands away from his sides but didn't move from her position above his body. She blushed, leaning in slowly._

_Zuko looked at her in confusion, "What are you do-?"_

"_Shut up."_

_He closed his eyes, apprehension building in his chest as she leaned in and pressed her warm lips hesitantly against his own. His eyes shot open in surprise, but soon closed slowly as the peculiar sensation traveled through his body._

_She ended the kiss, hugging him around the neck. "Zuko…promise me you'll never change, alright?" she whispered in his ear slowly, "I…I really like you the way you are."_

_His arms slowly snaked around her waist as he relished in the feeling, "I won't…I promise._****

* * *

****Zuko slowly sat up in bed. He had been having strange dreams for the past couple weeks; none of which he was able to figure out. However, this particular dream gave him a feeling of nostalgia. Something about the girl seemed familiar to him… 

He shook his head. There were too many fragmented memories to piece together. He would just have to wait for more of his memories to return.

He turned his head and noticed that Katara was absent from her side of the bed. Slightly alarmed, he stepped out of bed and walked to the living room to find her sprawled haphazardly on the ground, dried tears trailing down her face. Her mouth was partially open, her body rising and falling with every breath she took.

It was strange to see the normally headstrong girl in such a vulnerable state. Though he would never admit it to her, he preferred her when she was more argumentative. Kneeling down, he noticed that she was holding something tightly in her hand. He slowly eased the paper out of her grasp and began to scan its contents with narrowed eyes.

"What are you doing?"

He lifted his eyes off the paper, leveling them with hers. "I'm reading your very confidential letter, a result of your carelessness."

Her eyes widened as she grabbed the paper from his hands in shock, "What gave you the right to read that?"

"You don't have any freedom, remember?" he folded his arms around his chest, "Anything suspicious is subject to investigation."

Katara bit her lip, "I was writing a letter to… my brother last night."

Zuko raised an eyebrow and continued to read the letter. "Do you actually believe I'm gullible enough to believe that?"

She closed her eyes, wishing she could just crawl under a rock. The letter had been a breath of fresh air for her. She had read it many times the night before and couldn't believe that she had fallen asleep while reading it.

"Who gave you this letter?"

His voice was so quietly intense, causing her to cringe. "I-I honestly don't know." She lied, "I found it yesterday after-"

He grabbed her arm roughly, "Don't lie to me!"

She flinched, suddenly remembering what the organization had written, _'…Be especially careful around that assassin you are housing with, he's very dangerous.'_

She hoped the fear wasn't reflected in her eyes. "I don't know, okay! For all I know, someone could have sent it too me as a joke."

He lifted her by her arm, his grip tightening. "Don't make a fool out of me…" his voice was quiet and, if Katara didn't know better, she could of sworn it sounded pleading. "Don't…"

"I told you once, and I'll tell you again." she tried to wriggle out of his grasp to no avail, "I. Don't. Know."

His grip on her arm became lax, allowing her to free her arm, "Has anyone told you that you have one hell of a grip?"

Zuko remained silent, gazing at his arms. _'I'm not supposed to be able to feel anything except hatred, yet; for some reason, when I'm around this nuisance of a girl I'm able to feel uncontrollable anger.'_

"You're…not going to report this to your boss, are you?"

He looked her in the eyes blankly, "I'll do what is instructed of me."

Katara's heart sank, "Just think of the possibilities! If you allow me to be rescued, you'll get me out of your hair for good!"

The sound of Zuko's cell phone echoed through the room. He flipped open his phone and pressed it gingerly against his ear. "Boss, what do you want?" he answered more sharply than he originally intended. "Is it another assignment?"

"Let me speak to the girl."

Though Zuko would never admit it to anyone, he was slightly annoyed as he handed the phone to Katara. It seemed as though their roles had changed. She was the one receiving and completing assignments while he stood by idly or did the dirty work for her. Why did Boss deem it necessary to appoint such a nuisance as his temporary partner?

"Katara, I trust your mission was a… _success_?"

Her eyes flashed, "Go to hell, bastard!" she hissed, "I'm not doing anything for you anymore! You never told me I would take part in the murder of an innocent civilian."

She could hear him chuckle softly causing unpleasant shivers to run up and down her spine. "So incredibly naïve. What makes you think that she was completely innocent? She set out to kill the both of you as soon as you followed her through the door."

"Liar." Katara seethed, "She seemed way to cordial to conspire a murder. There was no possible way that she could have even known that we were coming."

"She asked you if you wanted something to drink along with a snack, did she not?"

Katara froze. "Yes, what of it. She probably thought that we were her husband's associates. It was the polite thing to do."

"Is it?" he asked, amused. "Then I suppose you believe it's polite to slip poison into your guest's beverages, yes?"

"She did nothing of the sort!"

He continued as if she hadn't spoken at all, "Fortunately for you, your companion was of a sound mind. He was quick to the point and avoided mission failure."

Katara scoffed, "If you're so meticulous about your assignments and hate mission failure, then why bother sending me as apposed to your other more _competent_ assassins?"

"Despite what you believe, you have done very well for me, _Katara_. Your powers are very impressive and could be put to very good use in the agency."

Katara laughed dryly, "If this is your way of asking me to join your twisted organization, the answer is most definitely no."

"That is not your choice to make."

Katara shivered once again. It was strange, but at that very moment, Boss sounded almost exactly like her presently annoyed captor. "We'll see about that."

"You will complete three more missions for me if you wish to know the name of your parent's murderer. If you follow all of my orders, I'll allow you to do whatever you wish with him. However, this does not mean you go free. I am only giving you the satisfaction of revenge."

Katara's hands were shaking uncontrollably. Last night took a serious toll on her mind. She didn't think she could go through another experience like that ever again. "What do you want me to do?"

"Assist Spirit in the assassination of an old colleague

of mine."

Katara rolled her eyes, "It's nice to see that you keep in touch."

"You will be armed with a weapon in case Spirit… fails to complete his assignment."

"Contrary to what you may have perceived, I've never wielded any type of weapon before. I don't think I'll be able to help-"

"Spirit will assist you with the weaponry, Miss Katara." Boss interrupted, "You have seen that it is his area of expertise, yes?"

Katara felt the unpleasant chills travel down her spine once more. "Unfortunately."

He chuckled, "Very well, Miss Katara. Please give the phone to Spirit. I suppose he's fuming at the moment."

"Gladly." She mumbled before passing the phone to her captor, who was indeed fuming. "Your master wishes to speak to you oh-humble-servant."

He snatched the phone from her angrily, sending a glare in her direction, before pressing the phone to his ear. "Don't tell me I have to take the brat on another assignment! I can hardly stand being in her presence."

"I'm afraid so." Boss said with amusement, "Though, correct me if I'm wrong, I do believe you have a soft spot for her despite your actions."

"If you believe that, then you must be losing your touch." Zuko hissed, "What do I have to do now?"

"Teach Miss Katara how to shoot."

"What?" Zuko exclaimed angrily, "She's already a hazard as it is! Adding a weapon to the equation will only make things worse."

Katara stepped on his foot in annoyance, "I'm standing right here. Don't talk about me as though I don't exist."

Zuko ignored her, "I'm completely capable of completing the mission without her."

Boss sighed, "I'm already aware of that, Spirit. Think of this as more of a… test."

"Of what?"

"That's not important." His voice was sharp, surprising and baffling Zuko to no end, " Mission details are located in your side drawer. Good Luck."

He closed his phone and ran his hand through his sparse hair in agitation. "Get dressed, we're leaving."

Her face flushed with anger. "Why do you talk to me like I'm some kind of servant?"

She noticed her mistake too late. Before she had any time to react, He grabbed both of her arms tightly in his own and pinned her roughly to the ground. "I've been incredibly lenient with you since you've become my responsibility. I've allowed you to mouth off and believe that you're an individual. Had you been someone else's charge, you wouldn't have to gall to talk back to your superiors!"

"Superiors?" Katara laughed dryly, a smirk gracing her features. "I'm not a part of your sadistic system! I have no superiors! You impose an imaginary authority on me because deep down, you know that you are nothing but an empty shell, a ruthless killer with absolutely no conscience. Is that the type of person you expect me to respect and obey?"

His grip on her arms became loose, his face impassive. She continued, "Just who the hell do you think you are? You and your organization think you can just place me in any position you like! You all think it's amusing to see me slowly losing my sanity and everything I believe in, don't you!"

Though she had made a silent vow not to make herself appear weak to the enemy, tears were trailing down her cheeks. "W-What right do you have? What right do you have to take my life away and bring back such horrible memories?"

Zuko stood up and began to walk away from her. "Get dressed."

"Why are you always so cold?" she whispered, tears wracking her small frame, "Why don't you ever show any emotion besides anger?"

He closed his eyes, trying his best to quell the anger rising in his chest. "That doesn't concern someone like you. Do what you're told and get dressed.

Shakily, she stood up and turned towards the direction of his room. "You're a monster…"

"I know." His face remained impassive, causing Katara's eyes to widen slightly. "I don't need people to remind me of that which I am well aware."

Katara was frozen in place, "What did you just say?"

"Get dressed. We're leaving."

"No," Katara shook her head, still in shock. "You just said something else."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "I don't have time for your games, girl. If I'm going to teach you how to use a weapon, I want to get it over with as soon as possible."

Katara remained rooted to the spot as he walked away from her. She must have been going crazy. The last time she had heard those words was…when her father was still alive.

* * *

_A young Katara lay awake in bed trying, in vain, to fall asleep while counting sheep. Occurring to her brother, it worked like a charm._

'_111,929,000,324, 32…. 32…' She gave an aggravated sigh as she realized that she had lost count. 'This is a waste of time.'_

_She slowly eased her body from the warmth of her down comforter and crept out of her bedroom. Her parents were very strict when it came to sneaking out of bed and at the moment she wasn't willing to receive an earful from the feared mother father tag-team._

_She walked slowly, carefully calculating every step. She made sure not to step on any of the creaks or crevices in her path, knowing that her parents were very light sleepers._

_Katara gulped as she reached the most difficult obstacle: her parent's room. The entire floorboard in front of her parent's room was where she and Sokka had failed at many a nighttime wandering. She crouched on all fours and prepared to crawl across the floor. That was when she heard it…_

"_Richard…we can't do this." A distinctive, broken voice cried, "If we willingly give him up, they won't stop until they have destroyed each and every one of us!"_

_An aggravated sigh occupied the silence. "Annabelle, I don't think you understand the severity of the situation…"_

"_I sure as **hell** understand the situation! Richard… he's our son! Our one and only son… we can't…we CAN'T!"_

_Katara felt her heart break as she heard her mother's sobs echo through the empty hall. "We need to give him up… it will buy us enough time to come up with a strategy. Sokka's a big boy… he'll understand. When we tell him what's going on… he'll understand."_

"_There has to be some other way, Richard. I… love him too much. I can't do this to him…"_

"_It's no longer your choice, Annabelle. I have already given them my consent. Our son… he doesn't belong to us anymore."_

_There was a pregnant pause. Katara bit her lip anxiously. What was going on? What did they mean when they said Sokka didn't belong to them anymore?_

"_How… How could you?"_

"_Annabelle…"_

"_No! Don't touch me. Don't you **dare **touch me, you monster!"_

"_I don't need people to remind me of that which I am well aware, Annabelle. You knew that when you married me, and you should know that now. Although I may be a monster, I just saved my daughter's life."_

"_What about our son? Doesn't his life mean anything to you?"_

"_Sokka will change drastically, Annabelle, but he won't die. He'll only endure pain until we come up with a way to exact our revenge."_

"_When will that be?"_

"_Soon. I'll make sure that-"_

_Katara could feel herself being dragged slowly away from her parent's door. Had it been any other time, she would have screamed in protest, but she had a feeling that this was definitely not the right time or place for that. "Sokka…"_

_He relinquished his hold on her shirt. Katara stood and faced her older brother, anxiety written all over her features. "Sokka…I…" Tears were welling up in her eyes and slowly down her face "I…"_

_He looked at her, his expression solemn. "Katara, let's go to bed."_

_And for the first time in her life, Katara followed her brother's orders without complaint._

* * *

"We're here."

Katara stepped out of the car and looked around. There was nothing special about the area at all. In fact, they had parked on a street absent of any buildings or houses.

She folded her arms across he chest. "Where exactly are we?"

He walked past her and knelt down to the floor. She raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I know you're a loyal dog to your boss and everything, but do you have to literally play the part?"

As she cocked her head to the side, she could see that he was trying to lift something heavy. "Need help?"

A horrible screeching noise filled the air causing Katara to hurriedly cover her ears to block out the sound. "I guess not…"

He stepped back allowing Katara to observe the finished product: a huge gaping hole in the ground. "That better not be what I think it is."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "It's a sewer. Get over it." He began to climb down the ladder, ignoring Katara's dumbfounded look. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can get you off my back."

Katara shook herself out of her stupor and followed him down the ladder. "Your precious agency couldn't afford anything better, could they?"

They continued to climb down the ladder in silence until they reached to floor of the sewer. Katara raised an eyebrow, "If this is a sewer, then why…?"

The "sewer" consisted of concrete walls and floors that were completely void of any type of liquid. Every gun imaginable lined the walls in order of size. Bullets were embedded in various areas of the wall, some smoking slightly as though someone had recently finished practicing. Katara watched as Zuko displaced the smallest gun on the wall and tossed it effortlessly towards her.

She caught it just as easily, "What, you don't think I can handle a bigger gun?"

"Precisely."

She rolled her eyes at him and watched as he grabbed a piece of chalk from the floor and drew a circle on the wall. "You will aim for this circle."

Katara gulped as she slowly positioned the gun in front of her. Although she wasn't causing harm to anyone, she felt incredibly guilty for holding a weapon of death in her hands. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably at the thought. Very soon she would be responsible for taking the life of another human being. However, for some reason, she felt no remorse in her heart. Instead, she could feel fear course through her body relentlessly.

"Relax."

Katara lowered her quavering hand and turned toward her captor. "I… can't do this."

"You're weaker than I thought." He walked toward her until his body was directly behind her own. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck as he spoke, "How do you expect to punish the murderer of your parents if you don't have the means to exact your revenge?"

He grabbed her roughly arm and lifted it up to its prior position while using his other arm to lightly press her body against his own. She bit back the gasp threatening to escape from her throat and slowly relaxed against him. "Now shoot."

Katara closed her eyes, concentrating on his warmth rather than her fear. Her grip on the gun grew lax as her fingers fumbled for the trigger. She slowly pulled it back with her fingers until she heard the bullet eject from the gun. Exhaling, she slowly opened her eyes to observe the result. To her surprise, her bullet was embedded in the center of the white circle.

Zuko smirked lazily. "Not bad." Katara could feel the cold air envelop her body as he relinquished his hold on her arm. "Now do it again."

He watched her as she repositioned her arm in the direction of the target. He cursed quietly under his breath. Touching the girl wasn't necessary, but for a few moments he lost control of his body. For those few moments he didn't see her as his prisoner, he saw her as his equal. The very idea caused him to shake his head in disbelief. What the hell was wrong with him?

He followed her every movement with his eyes as she pulled the trigger with excellent precision. Her eyes no longer reflected fear. On the contrary, they didn't seem to reflect any emotion at all. The brightness of her eyes lessened, her pink lips pressed together in a firm line…

She reloaded the gun and continued to shoot bullets in succession, each one embedding itself into the other in absolute accuracy. Her demeanor had changed completely. If he didn't know what she was really like, he would have considered her a cold-blooded killer, an assassin like himself. Could this be what Boss desired in her?

The gun slipped from her hand and clattered onto the floor audibly. She held her shaking hands up to her face and stared at them in disbelief. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

Her words shook him out of his stupor. "You mean besides the fact that you are incredibly annoying?"

If she heard him, she didn't show it. She simply rose to her feet and lifted the gun off the flood in one fluid movement. With shaking hands, she pointed the gun to her captor's face. "I could kill you right now. I could kill you and no one would know about it save your twisted Boss."

Zuko took a step toward her. "_Don't_ move!" she cried desperately, fear etched in each word. "If you move one more step, I will _kill_ you."

He rolled his eyes. "You are too weak to kill anyone."

"You don't know me." She hissed, her grip slowly becoming tighter on her gun. "For all you know, killing could be second nature."

It seemed as though her eyes had changed from bright cerulean to icy blue in a matter of seconds. For a moment, Zuko was frozen in place astounded by the immediate transformation of her demeanor. "I may not be capable of murder," she walked toward him, gun still level with his face, "but I am capable of extermination."

Zuko smirked, ignoring the slight twinge of fear in his heart. "Even if you had the capacity to kill me, you would never discover the whereabouts of your parents' murderer."

Her eyes widened and her hands began to shake once more. She held her hands to her head as though trying to quell an incredible force. Her eyes filled with horror as she glanced at the gun in her hand. "What just happened?"

Zuko stared at her in disbelief. "You just tried to kill me."

Her eyes widened. "I don't understand… I don't remember…anything."

"I think…you're ready."

Katara shivered, "I was afraid you would say that."

Zuko narrowed his eyes at her retreating back and followed her up the ladder that led to the street. He couldn't quite comprehend what had just occurred, but he had a feeling that he knew someone else did, and he had been watching and analyzing every moment of it.

TBC...

* * *

Andi-chan here! LOOOOOOG wait! Sorry about that…. I assure you that the next chapter will be full of action. This time I just wanted to confuse you even more! Please review so I know what you think about this chapter! 


	7. Part I: Jealousy

**Chapter Seven: Jealousy**

* * *

"**_Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies"- _Elisabeth Bowen **

* * *

He watched her through the window in silent adoration. He memorized the movement of her hips as she paced back and forth mesmerized by her grace. Cold white fingers pressed against the glass as he wished to touch her, any part of her. The window was as unrelenting as his boss's orders. He was to watch her from a distance. See and not touch. 

He groaned childishly. He and his associates had been taking shifts watching the young woman as she stayed in the seemingly dark apartment with her captor. More than anything, he wanted to break through the window and take her out of the hellhole. He had to clench his fists as he watched him slam her into the wall. He nearly cried out when her body slid sickeningly to the floor. He could have sworn her felt a growl rise in his throat when he would grab her arm in anger. No matter how much he wished otherwise, he was only an observer. He wasn't allowed to draw attention to himself; those were his orders.

Today, however, was a particularly excruciating day for him. It seemed as though she was preparing for some sort of special event. He gasped as turned the other way as she slid out of her clothing without warning, only looking up when she was fully clothed. His eyes widened, his jaw slacked…

…and before he knew it, he had fallen backwards from the tree branch

* * *

"Wake up, idiot." 

Katara moaned as she simply turned over in bed, her back resting against something hard and firm. "So warm…" she whispered.

Zuko was _not_ amused. Somehow throughout the night the four feet distance separating them was nonexistent. Instead he had woken up to a body pressed firmly against his own and arms wrapped tightly and relentlessly around his waist. This was apparently not all. For reasons he could not fathom, he could feel the heat rising rapidly to his normally pale cheeks as a result.

"Let go." He growled, ignoring the rising feelings in his chest. "Let go of me this instant!"

She ignored his request and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. "You're so strong, father."

Zuko raised an eyebrow and proceeded to ease out of her iron grip. "I'm not your father."

Her grip around his waist became lax as she opened her eyes. She stared down at her hands in horror as she jumped away from him in embarrassment. "Pervert…" she whispered scathingly as she hopped off the bed. "This is exactly why I didn't want to share a bed with you."

Zuko could feel his blood boil. "If I remember clearly, it was you who placed your disgusting hands on _me_! You were the one laying in bed calling for your dead father. It was pathetic!"

The familiar ring of Zuko's cell phone cut through the silence before she could respond. Zuko growled and flipped the phone open. "What is it?" he asked in aggravation as his prisoner sent him rather vulgar gestures with her hands.

A voice chuckled eerily over the phone. "Temper, temper, Spirit. And here I was about to give you another assignment. You do remember our deal, right? Three more to go…"

How could he possibly for get their deal? It was what had turned him into an assassin in the first place. He couldn't believe that he only had to commit three more murders until his memory was completely restored. It was almost too good to be true. "I am quite aware of that Boss. Tell me what I have to do."

"There has been a change of plans. My colleague and his family are attending an annual ball for the opening of his new company. I want you to get him on his own and kill him before anyone notices that he is gone."

Zuko nodded, it seemed simple enough. "Understood."

"My, My, where is your curiosity, Spirit?" Boss mocked, chuckling eerily once more, "You don't even want to know how I want you to get him on his own?"

Zuko shivered involuntarily. He hoped it wasn't one of _those_ assassinations. If so, he was going to have to take an additional shower. "No, but I have a feeling you are going to tell me anyway."

Boss feigned a sigh. "You know me too well, Spirit." He paused as though trying to make his statement as dramatic as possible. "In the closet you'll find a white dress…"

Zuko cringed. It _was_ one of those assassinations. "Yes, and?"

"You will give it to Miss Katara. It is her job to get the man away from his wife and children so you can complete the job. It is a masquerade ball, so you both should be wearing masks. The target should be decked in a lime green suit. According to my research, he is very unfaithful and chases anything in a skirt. "

Zuko rolled his eyes as Katara sent him more vulgar gestures. "That's good, because she's such an eyesore that it would be impossible for her to attract anyone."

"Nice to see you get along." Boss responded amusedly. "I'm sure you'll get along even more once you catch a glimpse of her in that dress."

Before he could respond angrily, the telltale sign of the phone's dialtone cut him off._ That bastard._ He thought in aggravation. _As if I'd be interested in a little girl playing dress up._

The girl in question crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to tell me what he said?"

"I don't see how it concerns you, brat." Zuko scoffed, "Didn't your parents teach you to respect your elders?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Talk to me when you can think of a better come back. Clearly you and your boss were talking about me seeing as you were looking in my direction. What does he want me to do now? Kill a classroom of kindergarteners because they're disturbing the peace? Assassinate the leader of Peace Corp?"

"He wants you to seduce an associate of his so that I can murder him."

Katara's mouth hung open in shock. "Of all the chauvinistic, sexist, misogyn-"

"You don't have a choice or a say in the matter." He smirked and walked past her and whispered in her ear. "You will do whatever you have to in order to reveal your parent's murderer."

Katara could feel her blood boil with hatred. Her parents' murderer was their precious trump card. Without it, they couldn't make her do anything. She silently swore to herself that as soon as the assassin was revealed, she would expose the agency and all of their sick achievements. "I _hate_ you…"

" Continue to harbor those feelings for me, brat. I wouldn't want you to seduce me now, would I?"

Katara growled in anger and stomped out of the room, leaving a smirking Zuko behind her.

" _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." _He thought with amusement, "_Good thing she's not a woman."_

Who ever knew there was so much pleasure in angering the brat

* * *

Katara had been busy glaring holes in Zuko's back as much as physically possible for the most part of the evening while contemplating her next assignment. She despised older men and the way they looked her up and down like she was a piece of meat on a silver platter. She really didn't want to encourage such behavior for Boss's colleague even if it was his dying day.

She took her eyes off of Zuko's back and walked to the room to get dressed. She hadn't even asked him what she was going to wear to the ball. Heaven forbid that she wear her flamboyant supermarket uniform.

She paced back and forth across the room opening drawers and searching under the bed for the dress to no avail until she finally decided to check Zuko's closet. It was then that she laid her eyes on _it_. A white halter-top dress with roses sequined into the trail. In her excitement, she threw off her clothing and pulled the dress of the hanger. She slipped it over her head easily and used her free hand to zip it up. She twirled around in awe and stared at herself in the mirror. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen.

At that moment, she could have sworn she heard a rather loud _thump_ from outside her window.

* * *

Zuko growled and stared at his watch in irritation. They had exactly five minutes to get to the limo before it would decide to leave them behind. If he were to miss the assignment because of her pointless endeavors, he would kill her regardless of Boss's wishes. He couldn't imagine what could possibly be taking her so long. It was unacceptable, it was pointless, it was…

"I'm ready, Spirit." She said in that annoying better-than-thou tone he had unfortunately become accustomed to over the course of her stay. "You can stop acting like a child any moment now."

He turned around, a clever retort on his lips, but soon found himself incapable of formulating coherent words. He had never seen her in anything other than the gruesome, baggy clothing allotted to her by the agency. In his mind, he had imagined her to be a scrawny youth. He assumed that her immature disposition would correspond to her figure. He had never been more wrong. The dress accentuated her curves in a modest manner while exposing the creamy skin of her arms and shoulders. It was a stark contrast between the dark brown of her wavy hair and the shocking cerulean of her eyes; the picture of innocence and purity.

She rolled her eyes at his expression. "Don't act like you haven't seen or …_killed_ a girl in a dress before."

Zuko clenched his teeth. No dress, no matter how stunning it made her appear, could rid her of that insolence. "I have never used my swords to murder a young girl, but if you do not find someway to hold your tongue, you might be the first."

She walked passed him, a sad smile on her face. "You and I both know that you're not capable of committing murders without the consent of your boss." She continued to open the door begin to walk down the steps, beckoning him to follow her. "If you had the capacity to murder without his consent, I would have allowed you to kill me weeks ago."

They walked down the stairs in silence save the sound of their shoes against the hard cold metal. Zuko stared at her back in silent contemplation. He shouldn't have been able to feel anything when she showed her vulnerability. If anything he should have used it in his attempt to prove her weakness and inferiority. However, to his immense surprise, he had begun to feel traces of anger rise in his chest for unknown reasons. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts; he would rather not venture into the recesses of his mind in order to understand his feelings.

He felt her arm slip through his and pull him forcefully inside the limo. He glared at her with as much malice as he could muster, but she merely shrugged. "It's not my fault you are off in some alternate-reality." She gave him a smirk arrogant enough to rival his own "It's a good thing I'm here to bring you back to the real world."

He glared at her causing her to glare back at him with the same intensity. "If it means I have to spend another moment in your irritating presence I would rather remain in that alternate reality."

She shrugged, "But where's the fun in that? You don't get to kill innocent people in alternate realities."

He stared at her in an almost incredulous manner. Since when was she able to speak about death with such nonchalance? "You better watch your mouth, brat. You must remember that we are not e-"

"So nice of you to join us, Spirit." a piercing voice hissed in a deadly whisper. "We were beginning to think that you wouldn't come."

"Then you would have to miss all the fun!"

Katara and Zuko turned around in the direction of the two voices to face a cheerful Ty Lee and a disgruntled looking Mai. The latter was wore a blood red sleeveless dress while the former was, not surprisingly, decked in bright pink. "What are you two doing here?" Katara asked, "I thought this mission only included Zuko and I."

Mai narrowed her eyes at her. Apparently she had said the wrong thing. "I don't think you are in any position to ask questions." She looked up at Zuko, her expression deadpan. "I think you have been giving the prisoner too much freedom. She believes she can speak to us as though we are of the same… worth."

Katara's face burned red. "I am doing this because I have a purpose. If I recall, you blindly follow the orders of your boss without question. If you are killed in battle, you are easily expendable. I however am apparently one of a kind. I suppose you're right, we are clearly not of the same worth."

Mai clenched her teeth in anger. What right did she have to insult her? Wasn't she aware that she could slit her throat in an instant without a second thought? "I think you have delusions of grandeur." Mai hissed, acid dripping from each word she spoke. "I am the one allowed to keep my dignity as you saunter around in a pretty dress like a cheap harlot."

"Call me what you like." Katara said with an irritating smirk, "At the very least, I get to escape from this hell while you remain."

Mai laughed chillingly, "Is that what you truly believe? Such naïveté! If you think that Boss is going to let you go after searching for you for so long, you truly lack any common se-"

Mai gasped as Zuko roughly grabbed her upper arm. She stared at him, silently questioning his actions. He glared at her in anger and disappointment. His message was startlingly clear: _don't say another word._

She nodded and slowly eased her arm out of his grasp, her heart filling with self-loathing. In her anger she had almost exposed Boss's plan, and the brat was now aware of it. "I am sorry for my behavior Miss Katara." She said through gritted teeth, "It will never happen again."

Katara wished more than anything to respond scathingly, but she knew the argument had ended. "I apologize for my behavior as well, Mai."

The anger and hatred in their eyes was proof that each of them felt the contrary. Their battle had ended in a stalemate; it was only a matter of time before they engaged in such an argument again.

A tense silence fell over the group and was sustained throughout the length of the trip. Occasionally, Katara would glare at Mai, and they would stare at each other with equal intensity. Zuko would raise his eyebrow at Ty Lee who would giggle shamelessly behind her palm. Sometimes, Katara's knee would lightly graze Zuko's in an unconscious attempt to distance herself from her glaring rival. In response, Zuko would clench his fist around his shirt in an effort to quell the strange feeling rising in his chest. His reaction would cause Mai to narrow her eyes at the tanned girl and engage her in a glaring contest once more.

Needless to say, they were all relieved when they arrived at their destination

* * *

Katara had to suppress a gasp at the decorative surroundings of the ballroom. Tables surrounded the dance floor in a circular fashion each covered in either blue or white coverings. A huge chandelier like none she had ever seen before hung from the ceiling and basked the ballroom with in an ethereal light. Across the room, a door opened to reveal a gargantuan courtyard embellished with several fountains and a crystal walkway. She could hardly believe that this was only a small part of the mansion.

Something hard and cold slipped through her hands causing her to look up. Zuko was rolling his eyes at her obvious amazement. "You forgot to put on your mask, you idiot. Don't forget the reason we're here."

In an instant, her demeanor changed. She wasn't here to enjoy herself; she was here to help kill a man. With shaking hands, she placed the cold, porcelain mask on her face, affectively masking her fear and anticipation. "Where is he?"

"It appears that he has not arrived yet." He whispered in her ear, "_Enjoy _yourself until then."

She suppressed the urge to slap him. He knew very well that she could not enjoy herself. With clenched fists, she walked away from Zuko and began to explore the length of the ballroom. The dance floor seemed to be occupied with entwined bodies moving in synchronization to the music. She sighed sadly. She would never be able to engage in such a dance with such passion and grace.

"The sight of such a beautiful girl in solitude is very unnerving."

Katara turned around to face a man in a soft blue suit with a bright red mask covering his face. If it wasn't considered uncouth and unladylike, she would have rolled her eyes at his lame comment. "My dear sir!" she gasped placing her hands over her lips in false surprise. "I am amazed that such a man of your status would grace me with his presence."

The man smiled, causing Katara to grimace behind her hand. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

_No. I would never let you touch me in a million years!_

She lightly grasped his extended hand. "It would be an honor sir."

She felt herself being pulled towards the center of the dance. Regret began to fill her stomach as the man placed his other hand on the small of her back, tracing small patterns with his fingers. Who did this man think he was?

"My lady? Would you mind telling me your relation to Shou?"

Fear gripped her heart. They hadn't prepared her for this! "My father is an associate of his, but couldn't be here tonight. I am merely his replacement."

"Which associate? I may have had the pleasure of meeting him."

Katara was beginning to think this man was suspicious of her. Why else would he bother to ask her such questions? She looked around searching for anything that would help her come up with a name. In her frantic search, she caught a glimpse of Zuko's amused expression. It gave her an idea. "Zuko Yu Mae."

"Yu Mae? Doesn't sound very familiar."

She cursed their close proximity and hoped he couldn't feel the quickness of her beating heart. "He mostly keeps to himself."

She prayed he would buy her lame excuse. "I am going to have to find him and…" his hand descended from the small of her back to her bottom, "…tell him he is lucky to have such a beautiful daughter."

Katara's face burned red with embarrassment in anger. She raised her hand from his shoulder and prepared to backhand him…

"Excuse me, may I cut in?"

Katara and the man turned to face the owner of the voice. He was slightly shorter than her dance partner, decked in black with a bright orange, red, and yellow mask of a smiling sun. The hesitantly released Katara and walked off into the throng of dancing bodies.

Katara smiled in gratitude at the man and grasped his hand in her own. "Thank you for that. I wasn't sure what to do."

The man grabbed hold of her waist and crushed her body to his. Katara gasped in surprise. "What do you think you're doing?"

The man leaned down so that his lips were level with her ear. "I know why you're here, Katara."

She could have sworn she felt her heart skip a beat. "I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"Katara, listen to me." The man pleaded. She knew she had heard his voice somewhere before. "You are in danger. Don't trust anything anyone says in that Agency you are working for. Don't listen to any promises their leader might make. He is only toying with you."

"What in the world are you talking about? Who are you?"

"We will get you out of there, I promise. I wouldn't dare to attempt to rescue you here, there are too many people watching our every move."

"Tell me who you are!" she whispered angrily, "I'm tired of being kept in the dark all the time! I wish someone would just tell me what was going on for once…"

She felt his strong arms embrace her in a hug. Hesitantly, she returned the hug, relishing in the familiar feeling. "You already know who I am, Katara. You're just not willing to admit it to yourself yet. Think back as far as you can and I believe you'll be able to-"

"May I cut in?"

She looked up and saw Spirit standing over her with his arms crossed, an aura of anger surrounding him. The man nodded and released her. She could feel his hot breath whisper something in her ear before he left her. "I love you Katara. Don't you ever forget that."

Her eyes widened. She watched helplessly as he walked away leaving her with feelings of nostalgia and longing. He had filled the empty void in her heart for the few moments that he had held her protectively in his strong arms, but now she felt emptier than ever. It seemed like an eternity since the last time she had caught a glimpse at his smiling face or heard his soothing voice.

"_Sokka!" a young Katara cried grasping onto her brother's shirt. "I'm coming with you! I don't care what mom and dad said. It's not fair!"_

_He smiled sadly. "Katara, you don't want to go where I'm going. You'll only suffer."_

_Her eyes were shining with determination. "I'll suffer with you, Sokka! I'll endure the pain as long as we're not separated. I don't want you to be all alone!"_

_He gently removed her fingers from his shirt, "I won't be gone forever, Katara. Only for a little while."_

"_You shouldn't have to leave at all!" Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes as she clenched her fists in her nightgown. "How could they do this to you, Sokka. I hate them!"_

"_No, Katara. You don't know what you're talking about." He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "They loved you more than anything and did everything in their power to protect you."_

_She smacked his hand away from her face. "I don't want to be protected! You're just like them! You think I'm just some helpless child who can't take care of herself."_

_He suddenly grabbed her and enveloped her in his strong arms. "Katara, I can understand your anger."_

_She shook her head. "If you really did, you wouldn't be leaving._

"_It's more complicated than that, Katara."_

"_I'm sure I would be able to understand if someone would tell me what's going on for once! I heard mom and dad argue at night when they thought I was asleep. But when they woke up in the morning they smiled as if nothing's wrong! I know that they died because of me…" she hiccupped grasping onto her brother's shirt tightly. "You should hate me for this…it's all my fault!"_

"_Katara. Listen to me. All of this… it will be over soon. I just have to do this, for both of our sakes." he hugged her tighter before he released her and began to walk out of the room. "I love you Katara. Don't you ever forget that."_

_She watched helplessly as her older brother, her only remaining family in the world, walked out of her life. She wanted to run after him, but her body seemed to be frozen in shock. She would regret her actions for years and years to come._

Katara masked her sadness with nonchalance. If Spirit were to ever find out what had just transpired, he would never let her out of his sight. "It is an honor to be in the presence of such an esteemed gentleman."

As the tempo of the music became faster, Katara could feel herself being pushed, albeit roughly, into Spirit's chest. "I hope your dancing is better than your balance."

He entwined his fingers with hers and began dancing in tempo, forcing her to follow his every move. "Who was that man?"

She twirled quickly out of his arms and back in one fluid moment. "If you haven't noticed, he was wearing a mask. There's no way I could know who he was."

She gasped as he pulled her even closer, one hand tightly gripping her waist. "What did he say to you? Why was he holding you like that?"

Her feet were starting to have a hard time keeping up with him as he sped up his movements. "Nothing I wish to repeat. However, I assure you it wasn't of any importance."

A loosened grip on her waist was his only response. "Why do you care anyway?"

He leaned in so close that his lips lightly caressed her earlobe. "I don't."

She rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. "Let's keep it that way shall we?"

He dipped her body so low that the tips of her wavy hair touched the ground. "I don't recall allowing you to make the rules."

She hooked her leg around his waist and did an elaborate turn. "I don't recall asking for your permission."

He threw her up into the air by her waist and caught her easily. "Since when did you become so annoyingly arrogant?"

She placed her arm on his shoulder. "I guess living with an arrogant bastard is beginning to affect me." As the music ended, Katara noticed that they were the only pair left on the dance floor. Her face burned red with embarrassment. Why hadn't she noticed the absence of the dancers? "I believe we're done here."

As she began to walk away from him, his fingers lightly encircled her small wrist. He spoke with such quiet intensity that she had to listen hard to hear his words.

"_Be careful."_

She nodded in confusion and slowly walked away from Zuko and into the clapping audience.

TBC…

* * *

Andi-chan here! Once again, no action in this chapter. Don't kIll me! Leave a review to tell me what you think! If you have any questions, concerns, or constructive criticism include them in your review. Next chapter will definitely contain hints of alcohol, violence, and **anger.** See you then! 


	8. Part I: Anger

Chapter Eight: Guilt

* * *

**"_Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame."_** --Benjamin Franklin

* * *

Zuko stuffed his hands into his pockets, ignoring the dreamy stares directed towards him from the majority of the female dancers. He had a feeling that something horrible was going to happen and he couldn't fathom why. Everything seemed to be going as planned. He had watched for the target since they had arrived, keeping an eye out for any overdressed middle-aged men. He had watched _her_ as she danced with two separate men. 

At first, he had found it quite amusing that the older man was so persistent with her. She looked so helpless and innocent looking around for someone to rescue her from her compromising position. At one point he was about to end her misery by cutting in, hoping to embarrass her even more by becoming her savior, but Mai had stopped him.

"Spirit." She was staring down at her feet, her red mask hiding her brilliantly red blush. "I'm starting to get bored. Would you like to dance?"

He reluctantly agreed, still keeping an eye on Katara. Placing his arm on her waist, they began to engage in a slow waltz.

Mai noticed him staring across the room and followed his gaze to the prisoner. "Look at that idiot!" she exclaimed in ridicule, rolling her eyes. "What does she think she's doing dancing with such an old man? Is she too unable to dance with people her own age?"

But Zuko wasn't listening; he was too busy watching the descent of the perverted man's hand. For some unexplainable reason, he wanted to take her away from that poor excuse of a man. However, before he could even scold himself for his strange compulsion, another man began to dance with _his _prisoner.

He tightened his hold on Mai's waist as the man embraced her and began whispering things in her ear. Who did he think he was? "I… think I see our target, Mai." He lied, keeping his eyes on Katara. "Let me alert her."

Mai looked around, a quizzical expression on her face. "I don't see the target anywhere."

He ignored her and walked towards Katara. She looked as though she was about to cry. Her dance partner would pay for that. "May I cut in?" It was more of an order than a request.

Zuko continued to glare at the man until he was positive she was safe in his arms. Although he would never admit it to her, he was amazed at her sudden transformation. She now looked unconcerned, as though nothing had transpired. He questioned her, but she refused to give in. It caused feelings of hatred and admiration to rise simultaneously in his chest.

Then they had danced. Their bodies fit together like two perfectly crafted puzzle pieces. They seemed to complement each other completely even with their limited dialogue. He had never felt anything like it. Something had come over him; something he didn't like. He was beginning to_ feel_. The exact feeling in his chest was something he couldn't grasp, but the fact that he was able to feel anything at all was truly amazing.

When they had ended their dance, he felt the feeling drift away, drilling a hole in his cold heart once more. He had felt the need to say something to her. Anything…

He shook his head. Why was he suddenly beginning to care? He never gave a damn about anyone but himself, and he had been content to stay that way. He didn't care when his comrades died. He didn't blink an eye when his targets begged for mercy. He killed for his own selfish reasons.

But now, in the irritating presence of his prisoner, he was beginning to question everything he had ever stood for.

"Spirit."

He turned around to face an annoyed Mai. "What is it?"

"She's talking to the target. Everything is going according to plan. All you have to do from this point on is keep an eye on her until she disappears." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Though I don't think you'll have a problem doing that considering you've been staring shamelessly at her all night."

He narrowed his eyes. "It's my job to keep an eye on her, Mai." He watched as the target handed Katara purple drink. "I didn't ask to be given such a task. You should know that better than I."

"I'm only warning you, Zuko. Don't get too attached. Anything that Boss manipulates is usually too damaged to salvage by the time he finishes."

"You don't think I'm aware of that?" he seethed, "Contrary to what you may believe, I'm not interested in that brat."

"I'm giving advise based on experience." If he didn't know Mai better, he would have thought he heard her voice cracking. "Don't fall in love with anyone in this business; it'll only hurt you."

"I'm not capable of falling in love, especially with someone I loathe."

Mai stared at her feet, her fists clenched in anger. "Don't lie to me." she hissed, surprising him, "Ever since she was placed under your responsibility, you have shown emotions! You get angry with her, you show concern for her, and she amuses you. The Spirit- no- the _Zuko_ I know would never let some bubble-headed naïve brat affect him. He would never so much as lift an eyebrow when he killed." There was no mistaking it; her voice was cracking so horribly that it was barely recognizable. "He would _never_ lie to me."

Her voice was beginning to ware on his nerves. "Sorry to disappoint. If you'll excuse me, I have a mission to complete."

"Pathetic." She seethed, causing him to turn around and face her. "What a weakling you have become, Zuko."

Something was off about Mai. She would never dare to speak to him in such a manner. They each held a mutual respect for each other for they had known each other for a long time. He stared at the drink in her hands. He had never seen anything like it. It was of an odd bright purple coloring. He grabbed the drink from her and sniffed it. He cringed at the overwhelming alcohol content of the drink. "I think you've had enough."

She crossed her arms over her chest in indignation "What? You don't think I can handle a few drinks?"

"Precisely."

"Well, your prisoner seemed to down a few of those drinks pretty easily a moment ago."

She laughed maliciously, "The brat is probably making a fool of herself at this very moment!"

Zuko turned to her, suddenly alert. "What did you just say?"

"I was right! You are loo-loosing your touch, Zuzu!" She giggled; a blaring confirmation that she was indeed drunk. "No worries. I can help you regain that touch…"

Zuko grimaced at her poor attempt at flirtation. "Mai, I think you need to-"

"Zu-zu-zu-zu-zu!" she giggled again, "I'm starting to feel dizzy…"

He caught her falling body in his arms and carefully placed her in one of the many empty chairs surrounding the ballroom. He looked around frantically around the length of the ballroom for Katara. He cursed himself for being so irresponsible. How could he have lost sight of her in the span of five minutes? He sighed deeply and began to search the expanses of the mansion for signs of his prisoner.

"_She couldn't have gone far…"_ he told himself_, "She couldn't have gone far…"_

He couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

She walked away from the dance floor, her heart pounding. It didn't make sense to her at all, any of it. First, her older brother appears out of nowhere. Then her captor appears and to sweep her off her feet. She sighed. There was only so much a 16-year-old girl could handle. 

"That was some _performance_, young lady."

She turned around to face a man decked in a bright green suit with a white theater mask covering one side of his face, her target. It was time to put on an act. "Thank you very much Mr.…" she feigned annoyance, "I do not believe I have had the pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"My name is Shou." Katara watched in disgust as he stared shamelessly at her chest. "Li Shou."

"Oh, my!" she gasped, "How could I have not noticed such a handsome gentleman before."

"My lady flatters me too much!"

_You got that right,_ she thought to herself. _You're repulsive._

"Words could not describe the way you're making me feel, Li." She pressed her hands to her supposedly red cheeks and stared at her feet. "I'm almost too embarrassed to speak to you in such a public setting."

She suppressed the urge to grimace at his lecherous grin. "Perhaps we should go someplace more…_private_?"

She pretended to contemplate his words, but in reality she was searching for Zuko to give him some sort of indication that she had succeeded. She felt her heart sink in horror as she noticed him talking to Mai. How was he supposed to know where she was going if he wasn't paying attention?

Shou followed her worried gaze to Zuko and proceeded to place his hand on the small of her back to comfort her. "Don't worry about your idiot of a boyfriend. You want someone with more _experience_."

She was beginning to shake in fear. "I suppose you're right."

He handed her a strangely colored drink. "Drink this. It'll help you wind down."

"Oh no! I could never drink alcohol. It is too-"

The man grasped her hand roughly. "Drink it now."

She felt her heart beat speed up. She didn't want to be in the presence of this man any longer. "Yes, sir."

She closed her eyes and downed the glass in one gulp. She shuddered as the cold liquid made its way down her throat. "Absolutely…splendid, sir."

"Again."

She giggled. " I couldn't possibly drink another drop!"

"Listen, little girl." He hissed his grip tightening on her arm. "Don't take me too lightly. Drink it, or I _swear _I'll kill your boyfriend."

She narrowed her eyes, dropping the act completely. "He's not my boyfriend. He's only someone I danced with. Leave him out of this, you coward."

"Lying doesn't suit you, girl. I saw the way you looked at him moments ago. He obviously means something to you." He laughed maliciously, "Now drink."

She downed a second glass. "That's a good girl. Now you will follow me upstairs without question. If you scream, I slit your throat."

She grabbed a glass of red wine off the table and glanced helplessly at Zuko one final time before she allowed him to escort her from the ballroom. "Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere _private_."

"Bastard…" she whispered under her breath. "Cowardly, psychopathic bastard."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, sir."

He smirked. "That's what I thought."

He led her down a series of hallways and staircases. She placed her hand behind her back and began spilling drops of wine on the white carpet in what she hoped was a clear trail to her destination. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Exact my revenge."

She looked up at him, a quizzical expression gracing her features. "Revenge? On who? I've already told you I've never had the _pleasure _of meeting you."

"I've been watching you all night, Katara Mitsuo. I knew I had seen you somewhere before, but I couldn't quite remember where. It wasn't until I saw you dance that I realized you are the carbon copy of Annabelle Mitsuo, who I met at a business party much like this one."

"I fail to see where your story is going or what you are planning to do." She stared at him viciously, "My mother has been dead for over seven years. You can no longer do anything to hurt her."

He ignored her. "Soon thereafter, your mother became one of my associates. I befriended her quite easily. She was a very kind-hearted, loving person. However, I seemed that I got the wrong impression of her. In reality she was nothing but a cold-hearted killer hired by one of my old friends." At this, he gripped her arm so tightly that she hissed in pain. "Instead of killing me, she destroyed everything of value to me. She and her partner killed every remaining family member I had and they completely crumbled the company I had worked so hard to build.

"I'll never forget the words she said to me as I begged her to kill me as well. "Your sins have been atoned. You're lucky I allowed you to live and start your life from scratch."

"Liar!" Katara could feel her blood boil. Who did this guy think he was, insulting her mother? "My mother would have never done such a thing! I don't believe you!"

"Stop trying to act innocent! Do you deny that you were sent here to kill me?"

Katara remained silent.

They arrived at a shadowy door located at the end of the long hallway. "Like mother like daughter, in life and in death."

She allowed him to drag her into the dark room. Her will to fight was now nonexistent; it had been replaced with a sense of extreme self-loathing. Her vision was beginning to get blurry, a sign that she was loosing her grip on reality. Her last coherent though was filled with guilt.

_I'm a horrible person_. She musedtears welling up in her eyes._ I_ _deserve much more than death_.

* * *

Zuko cursed as he searched through yet another empty room. He was beginning to believe that his search was hopeless. The house seemed too vast, its rooms to expansive. 

_No._ He silently berated himself, _It was my assignment to watch over her. If I fail at such a menial task, my reputation will be ruined._

However, deep in the depths of his soul, he knew that was not his true reason for wanting to find her. He knew that her death would also signify the death of his emotions. The emotions he had hoped to regain since he had discovered he lacked a memory. He would lose the precious fragmented memories he previously thought were impossible to uncover.

As he ran from the room, he noticed something peculiar about the normally immaculate flooring of the mansion; there were droplets of red on the floor. As he continued to walk forward, he noticed that the droplets continued down the hallway, as though strategically placed.

The trail of droplets continued for a while, sometimes prompting him to turn a corner, or climb a spiral staircase. He smirked. It seemed that no matter how many times she claimed to be an adult, she would always revert to her childlike roots.

_She's lucky._ He thought, suddenly amused. _That's the only damn fairy tale I know.  
_

* * *

Katara giggled, her bright blue eyes becoming glossier by the moment. "Do I know you Mister?" 

Shou smirked, "No my dear, but in a few moments, that won't matter anymore."

She cocked her head to the side. "My mother said I should n-never talk to strangers!"

"Your mother apparently taught you a lot of things."

"But she's dead! So is father!" She giggled balancing on the balls of her feet. "Some guy… I can't remember his name… Bossanova? Bossy?"

He narrowed his eyes, "What about him?"

"He c-captured me! Now I have to help my p-partner kill people!" She sniffed, as though about to cry, "It's not very fun though…. I haven't killed anyone so far. I've only been forced to watch."

"Oh you poor child…" He roughly grabbed her arm and slammed her into the wall causing her to scream. "It's just too bad that your mother isn't here to make it all better."

"You're hurting me…"

He dug his nails roughly into her skin, "Good, I was beginning to think that I had lost my touch."

Katara dropped the wine glass to the floor, the red liquid seeping into the hem of her dress. "You're hurting me…please stop."

His finger traced lines from her hip to her collarbone, sending unpleasant shivers down her spine. "You think your mother stopped when I begged for mercy?"

He placed his hands on either side of her face and crushed his lips against her own. He mind was screaming, her head reeling, fists pounding against his chest but he refused to relent. Hot tears welled up in her eyes as he reached up to untie her dress.

She didn't exactly know how it happened, but before she knew it Shou was grabbing his face in pain, directing a murderous glare in her direction. She took his temporary immobility as an opportunity to escape, but before she even began to run, she felt her body crash to the ground, a heavy force crushing her to the ground. Although her vision was blurry, she could see two identical slashes on either side of his face, both bleeding profusely.

"Bitch!" he cried, his fist connecting roughly with her face. "Did you honestly think you could get away from me so easily?"

He punched her again, causing her to grit her teeth to quell the screams threatening to rise in her throat. "When I get through with you, you'll wish you'd never been conceived by your wretched-"

Shou's eyes widened as cold sharp metal grazed the side of his face. "I guess I am loosing my touch." An eerily chilling voice said from behind them. "That was aimed for your head."

Katara lifted her head slightly, catching a glimpse of her savior. She could recognize that arrogantly confident figure anywhere, even with her blurry vision. "Time to die, Mister bad man!"

Zuko raised his eyebrow. If not for the seriousness of the situation, he would have mocked her, "Get off of her, now."

He rolled off of her, wiping his clothes as though they had been soiled. "My, my, I suppose I should have pegged you for the jealous boyfriend type from the beginning."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Ah. So you're her assassination partner, huh? Have you come to kill me as well?"

Zuko placed his sword between his index and middle finger, readying his stance. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for."

Shou pulled the sword out of the wall in one fluid movement, mimicking his stance. "Thank you, I guess."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "It wasn't a compliment."

Shou placed his hand over his heat in mock indignation. "I'm hurt."

"Get used to that feeling."

Zuko lunged, noticing a weak, unprotected point in Shou's side. To his surprise, he quickly parried. "Such arrogance from such a young man."

He skillfully slid his sword from under Zuko's and quickly aimed for his stomach. Zuko quickly dodged, though barely. "You thought I was some lecherous old man who didn't know the difference between a hilt and a blade, didn't you?" He smirked at the surprise etched on his opponent's face. "Based off of your skill so far I would have to say that you are thirty years too young to be fighting me young man. I advise you to give up while you still ca-"

Shou grimaced as the point of Zuko's sword impaled the muscles in his shoulder. "I'm sorry, sir." Zuko said in a mocking tone, "It's just that you were so wide open during your little lecture that I couldn't help myself."

To Zuko's surprise the man began to laugh. "Very clever, young man." Shou sighed and dropped his sword. "I thought I would save this for later, but it seems that I have no choice."

Zuko narrowed his eyes and kept a firm grip on his sword. How was the man planning to fight him without a weapon? "I take back what I said earlier. Your intelligence is one of your many faults."

Shou smirked as he held out his hand. A large flame floated above his palm, casting sinister shadows over his face. "It was a very amusing fight my young friend, but I'm afraid it will have to end soon. I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I."

To Shou's surprise, Zuko's entire arm became encased in fire. "_Don't_ underestimate me, old man."

Shou narrowed his eyes. "I should have known he would send one of you to do his dirty work for him."

Zuko remained silent and assumed his fighting stance. It had been a while since he was allowed to use his "gift." Boss had told him that he was only allowed to use it in special circumstances, though he never quite told him what constituted as 'special.'

Zuko charged, his fist held out in fury. Shou quickly dodged and attempted to land a blow on his stomach, but Zuko swiftly kicked his fist out of the way and jumped back.

Shou grimaced. "Hmm. I have to admit that you're pretty good."

Zuko smirked, not letting his guard down. "Wish I could say the same about you."

This time, Shou charged aiming a kick towards Zuko's head. He caught his leg and attempted to throw him, but Shou seemed to be one step ahead of him. Before Zuko could even react, the man attacked each and every one of his pressure points with his free hands. Zuko's hands grew lax and his body collapsed on the floor.

Shou smirked irritatingly. "Don't underestimate you, huh?" He punched Zuko swiftly across the face, causing him to grit his teeth. "I told you that you didn't have enough experience to fight me. You could have walked out of here with your life if you had just left the girl to me."

_Twenty._

"I'd never leave her with _you_." Zuko hissed. "What self-respecting man forces himself on a…" He absolutely _refused _to call her a woman. "…a little girl?"

_Fifteen_

Shou laughed as he pointed to Katara. "Surely you do not believe _that _is the body of a young girl?"

_Ten._

Zuko scoffed. "She is just a child."

"I saw you dancing with her young man. That was not a dance performed by a child." He smirked lecherously, "I thought you two were… rather _close._"

_Five._

"She is my partner, a liability forced upon me by my boss and nothing more."

Shou whistled in a low tone. "What ever boss wants, boss gets… however not this time. Today is the day I exact my revenge on the entire agenc-"

_Zero._

Zuko's shot a stream of fire from his fist, directed at Shou's heart. He screamed, clutching his chest in agony. "_Ty Lee always told me it takes twenty seconds to recover from temporary paralysis, no matter how skilled the attacker. It's lucky I actually listened to her for once."_

He quickly jumped to his feet and walked toward his sleeping comrade. He almost rolled his eyes at her innocence. How she was able to sleep in the midst of the fight was beyond him. He gently picked her up and held her against his chest.

"W-wait…"

Zuko turned to the man, disgust etched throughout his face. "You're a disgrace to the agency."

The man laughed, "Y-you have no idea what you've g-gotten yourselves into. The agency is a ruthless place. No one is to be trusted; conspiracy arises at every turn. Your best friend is your closest enemy."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "You're crazy."

"He chose you to dispose of me, to clean up his mess. He gave me something I didn't want, something I have had all my life. He told me it was all for the greater good. That was, until there was a mistake in the calculations. I quit the agency after that, I tried to start a new life… but he wouldn't allow it. It seems I was bound to him the moment I agreed to join his twisted agency. If you value your life, don't trust him."

"Who the hell are you to tell me who I should and should not trust!"

Shou closed his eyes, as though accepting defeat. "Y-you're just like him, young man." He shook his head, contradicting himself. "No. You _are_ him. You have every bit of his ruthlessness, cunning, and skill. He sent you on this mission to torment me with images of the past…that _bastard_.

"I suppose the only reason I ever joined the agency was because of Annabelle Mitsuo." He chuckled. "She was as kind as they come. Beautiful and quick witted too. I suppose I can say I had a bit of a crush on that woman. Her boyfriend Richard was quite wary of me, though. I could never get close to her without him butting in. He would always make sure he was her partner in every mission. Quite a deadly pair they were too, if I recall."

Zuko rolled his eyes. Calling Richard and Annabelle Mitsuo a deadly pair was an understatement. They were two of the most infamous assassins in the history of the agency.

"I had thought I had friends at the agency. Comrades who would stick up for me no matter the situation. But… they all turned their back on me when the experiment failed. It was as though they all silently agreed that I should be disposed of. I was a mistake born of the agency, and I had to be destroyed by the agency.

"He ordered Annabelle to kill my family first and come for me later. She took pity on me and spared my life, something I resent her for to this day. I decided if I ever saw her again, I would destroy her, but unfortunately I never go the chance. I supposed I would go for the second best thing--her daughter." He was silent for a few moments, and Zuko prayed that he was dead. No suck luck. "I advise you get away from that place while you can. It seems that you are the result of an experiment as well, though yours seems to have turned out to be a success."

Zuko clenched his fists in anger. "What experiment are you talking about? I have never been experimented on as long as I have been part of the agency."

"How do you think you are able to bend fire, my young friend? Did you think you were born with such an extraordinarily rare ability? Has it ever occurred to you that it may not be entirely natural?"

Zuko lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"You are a fool if you don't realize you are being toyed with. Boss plans to use you for as long as he can, and then he will find some way to dispose of you as well. To think that the man would do such a think to his own s-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

A gargantuan fireball was released from his fist and landed on Shou, quickly encasing him in flames, silencing the man forever. It seemed as though did not even have enough energy to scream.

Zuko closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself, but all he was able to feel was unadulterated rage.

* * *

Zuko closed the door to his apartment, resisting the urge to simply collapse on the floor in exhaustion. Instead he opted to drag himself to his room and drop his burden of a prisoner, albeit roughly, on his bed. He proceeded to strip himself of his clothing and throw himself lethargically into the shower. 

After each and every one of his assassinations, his heart never felt heavy. He would never feel guilty for what he had done. Hell, he wouldn't feel anything all save disgust. Disgust at what weak, scavenging worms men became when faced with death.

However, something was different about this assassination. This man, however lecherous he seemed to be, shared something with him. He had that ability to materialize and bend the element of fire. It had come as such a shock to him that another firebender existed. He had always been told that he was the only one; that he was unique.

That man seemed to bring light on several questionable subjects, some of which he would have never considered prior to their meeting. For instance, he discovered that his clumsy, bossy, childish prisoner was the daughter of Anabelle and Richard Mitsuo, the most infamous assassins in the history of the agency. That alone was enough to surprise him. According to the girl, her parents had been murdered. However, according to the Agency's records, they had mysteriously disappeared.

He had never questioned anything that Boss had told him. Over the years he had begun to trust the man unconditionally. He was the one that took him off the streets and gave him a home. He was the one who promised to help him regain his memory. He was the one who made him into what he was…

A monster.

He shook his head and turned off the shower. He decided it was enough contemplation for one night. If he continued, he was sure he would drive himself crazy. He sighed deeply as he grabbed a towel to dry his hair and walked towards his room to change.

To his surprise, Katara was sitting up in bed staring at him with wide eyes. "You know what?" She giggled. "You're actually kind of cute!"

Zuko sighed. It seemed as though his troubles were not over just yet. "Close your eyes."

Katara huffed and flopped dramatically onto the bed, her face pressed hard against the pillow. "Why are you so mean to me, Zuzu?"

Zuko gritted his teeth as he put on his pants in irritation. Why did every drunken woman insist to call him such a childish name? "Don't call me that."

"Why?"

He threw a shirt over his head. "Just don't do it."

"Why?"

This time he didn't answer, he merely climbed into bed. "You can uncover your eyes now."

Katara lifted her head off the pillow and climbed into bed as well, though closer than Zuko deemed comfortable. It was only when she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his chest that he decided that she was indeed too close.

"What do you think you're doing, brat."

"Shh!" She whispered earnestly as she pressed her index finger against his lips. "I'm listening to your heart."

He removed her finger from his lips and turned his face so she wouldn't see his blush. "If I remember correctly, you told me I didn't have one."

She looked appalled "That's crazy! Everyone has a heart. I can hear yours beat strong against your chest Zuzu."

He snorted. "Your speech would have been more profound without that cursed nickname."

"I- I think I like you Zuzu!"

He rolled her eyes at her childish declaration. "I'm going to get a lot of mileage out of this when you're sober."

She pouted. "You don't believe me?"

"Of course not." He almost laughed at the thought. "I thought our hatred was mutu-"

Suddenly he didn't know what was happening. His world seemed grayer than ever. He was trapped between the rationality of his mind and the desires of his body. He didn't know how it had started or how it was going to end, but before he knew it…

Katara was kissing him.

Perhaps he was going to get a lot more mileage out of this than he originally thought.

TBC…

* * *

WAHAHAHAH! I know, I'm evil, but who cares. I can be evil when I want to be. So tell me what you think about it in your review! Remember, constructive criticism is appreciated, but flames are ignored. The next chapter will contain a moral dilemma, deception, and **_valor_!** See you next chapter! 


	9. Part I: Valor

**Chapter Nine: Valor **

* * *

**"_Where life is more terrible than death, it is then the truest valor to dare to live."_**

**_--Sir Thomas Brown _**

* * *

At first, he did not know how to react. It had all happened very quickly; one moment he had been mocking her, and the next she had placed her soft lips upon his own. She was so close that he could smell the faint hint of strawberries on her skin. Her hands were entangled in his hair, her body pressed flush against him. 

He suddenly couldn't breath; he was drowning in her and was enjoying the feeling. It was as though his rationality was nonexistent. Had he been thinking logically, he would have immediately pushed her away; he would have demanded that she keep her hands off him; and he definitely wouldn't be kissing her back.

However, as soon as her hand trailed from his hair and landed on his scar, he realized what he was doing. His eyes suddenly shot open and he wrenched his lips from hers, a deep feeling of self-hatred filling his chest as he stared at her swollen lips and disheveled appearance.

"Wow," Katara whispered as she pressed two fingers to her lips, "that was amazing, Zuzu."

Zuko ignored her and sat up in bed, his head in his hands. _What the hell have I done?_ He mused as traced his lip with his index finger. _I just…took advantage of her._

He had to get out.

"Zuzu?"

As soon as he turned his head slightly to acknowledge her, he noticed her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He found that as she opened her mouth to speak, he couldn't take his eyes off of her for even a moment.

"Zuzu… don't leave."

She slowly crawled over to him, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist. "If you leave, I'll be all alone." She buried her face into his back. "I don't want to be alone, not again."

For a moment he wanted to leave her there, crying silently and pathetically on his bed. The entire situation was her fault; she was the one who had gotten herself drunk and she was the one who initiated the kiss. At the moment, he hated her with all of his being. How dare she make him feel this way? He was supposed to be an emotionless, ruthless assassin who was only concerned about his own survival. He was supposed to have power over her and she was to be absolutely submission and frightened at the very sight of him. But somehow, this girl managed to get past the impenetrable fortress of his heart. He was beginning to care for her in ways that he never had, and it was scaring him.

The slow movement of her chest against his back indicated that she had fallen asleep. He knew that he could still, at any moment, leave her by herself. He knew that he could wrench her arms off of his waist and move her body to the opposite side of the bed. However, he found he did not want to do either of these things. He found solace and comfort in her tiny arms, a comfort he had not felt since as long as he could remember. He wanted to relish in the feeling of her warmth and security simply because he knew it would be the last time he could feel this way. He would enjoy this night because…

…She wouldn't remember it in the morning

* * *

_Katara opened her eyes, deciding to ignore the sharp pain in her temple. It seemed as though she was hovering in a vast bright blue space with no end in sight. She raised an eyebrow; if this were one of the effects of alcohol, she would never drink another drop for the rest of her life._

"_I thought you of all people would know to drink responsibly, Miss Katara."_

_Katara growled in irritation. "Shut up."_

_The voice chuckled good-naturedly. "You have quite a mouth, young lady. You remind me of a relative of mine."_

"_Hello?"_

"_Despite what you may think, you are not going crazy, young lady. I am merely speaking to you in your dreams."_

_Katara sighed; that was good to know. "Why do you want to talk to me, sir?"_

_The voice sighed, "Soon you will have a moral dilemma. Your decision will determine whether you are freed from the agency or condemned to the life of a caged bird."_

_Katara shook her head, a confused expression gracing her features. "You're not making any sense! Moral dilemma? When is this supposed to happen?"_

"_You'll know what it does, my young friend. I am not allowed to speak another word." The voice chuckled at her confusion. "If you make the right decision, we will meet each other very soon."_

"_Wait!"_

* * *

As soon as Katara opened her eyes, she wished she hadn't. An array of bright colors blinded her and caused her head to spin. It was the most horrible feeling, a mixture of sharp pain and nausea. She promptly pressed her face against the pillow in an attempt to numb the pain. No such luck. 

"Get up." An annoyed voice growled in her ear. "We have to go."

Katara groaned. "Go away. Your voice is irritating me."

"Now you know how I feel."

Katara lifted her head off the pillow in reluctance and stared hatefully at the source of the irritating voice. "Where are we going?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Boss requests your company at a meeting in the Agency. He wants to know how the mission went."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Your all-powerful, all-knowing boss wants me at his meeting so we can inform him about the mission?" She closed her eyes to block the pain in her temples. "Well, tell him to forget about it. I don't feel well enough to go anywhere."

Zuko smirked, "If I recall, it's your fault you're in this condition. Apparently, you are so juvenile that you can't hold alcohol."

She could feel her blood boiling in anger. "I wouldn't be in this condition if you had paid more attention to me instead of your jealous girlfriend!"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "I fail to see how that has anything to do with your obvious stupidity. I expected you to know that alcohol effects your judgment."

"Of course I know that!" she screamed, ignoring the sharp pain in her head. She was standing up now, glaring at him in rage. "I didn't have a choice! If I would have refused him our cover would have been…would have been…"

Her vision suddenly became blurry, causing her to lose her footing. She grabbed onto the nightstand to steady herself. "He said that he would _kill_ you if I didn't do it."

Zuko laughed dryly. "Next time you want to come up with an excuse for your incompetence, I suggest you make it slightly more convincing. You and I both know that when given the opportunity you would choose to get rid of me."

Katara's eyes flashed with fury. "I won't deny that I hate you down to the very core of my being." She paused as though trying to find the right words. "However, at the moment, we are a team. As much as I hate to admit it, I need you as much as you need me. We both have something we need to accomplish, and we need each other in order to do it.

"There is something you have been searching for, Zuko, and I know you would do everything in your power to obtain it." She laughed humorlessly, while attempting to gain control of her shaking body. "I suppose we are the same in that respect. And I assure you, hatred aside, that if I have to save a worthless murderer's life to discover the name of the bastard who killed my parents, I will do it with…with…"

Katara placed her fingers on the side of her head and began to massage her temples in a vain attempt to rid herself of the pain. Although she didn't know much about hangovers, she had a feeling that something was seriously wrong with her body. The pain in her head was incredibly painful, seemingly impairing her sight and thought process.

Zuko observed her strange movements with amusement. "It would seem that you are weak as well as incompetent."

Katara couldn't hear his response. The room transformed in a whirlwind of bright imposing colors. Before she knew it, her body was tumbling to the ground. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact, but it didn't come. Instead, two strong arms caught her before she reached the ground. She opened her eyes slowly and stared up at her captor. Something seemed different about him, something she couldn't quite place. For the most part, his face looked the same. His scar was undoubtedly visible over his right eye and his short black tresses were as unkempt as ever. However, as she stared into his golden eyes, she suddenly realized what had changed.

For as long as she had known him, the only emotions that were reflected by his eyes were anger, amusement, and arrogance. Although she would never admit it to anyone, she often marveled at his ability to stay calm in the most compromising and dangerous situations. However, at this very moment, she noticed something in his eyes she had never even dreamed of seeing: concern.

The emotion only lasted a moment before his face resumed its mask of impassiveness. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

_So much for that, _she thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

She bit her lip in an attempt to numb her pain "I guess this means I don't have to go to that meeting after all seeing as I can't walk." She closed her eyes and smiled. "Looks like I've won this battle, Zuzu."

She suddenly furrowed her eyebrows. _Why did I just say that?_

Zuko smirked, effectively hiding his sudden panic. "I thought you would know by now that I never lose a battle, brat."

She rolled her eyes at his arrogance. "I believe you just did."

How very wrong she was.

* * *

Katara couldn't believe this was happening to her. For a few moments, she thought she was having a dream, or rather a nightmare. Dreams were pleasant, and her present situation was anything but. 

One moment she had been gloating over Zuko's defeat, and the next he had picked her up and thrown her over his shoulder as if she were nothing more than a sack of potatoes. It seemed that no matter how many times she pounded her fists against his back and demanded that he let her go, he refused to relent. He simply walked towards his car, opened the passenger door, and placed her on her seat before closing the door.

She folded her hands across her chest, mumbling obscenities under her breath as he positioned himself in the drivers seat, closed the door, and turned on the car. "You're a real bastard, you know that?"

He said nothing as he reached over and grabbed her seatbelt. "What are you doing?" she asked, though she already knew exactly what he was planning to do.

She blushed a light pink, as he buckled her seatbelt. She silently berated herself for being so ridiculous; he was simply fastening her seatbelt and nothing more, it shouldn't affect her in such a manner. He was so close he she could smell his scent of cinnamon and…strawberries? She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, before laughing quietly to herself; she was being silly, there had to be some other reason.

As he pulled away, she felt his fingers accidentally brush against her abdomen. She bit back to urge to gasp at the sudden contact.

Zuko raised an eyebrow at her strange behavior, as he put the car in gear and headed towards the agency. "Why are you laughing, brat?"

She smiled nervously in an attempt to quell the butterflies in her stomach. "I didn't know you used strawberry shampoo as well, Zuzu."

A brief expression of panic crossed his features causing Katara to narrow her eyes once again. "Maybe if you hadn't laid so close to me last night, I would have such a foul odor on my skin."

Katara let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. For a minute, she had thought…

"I don't remember anything about last night." She stated anxiously, "Did…I make a fool of myself at the party?"

Zuko's hands gripped the steering wheel, "You were as much of an idiot as usual."

'_Among other things',_ he thought wryly.

She laughed lightly, "I would have never thought I would be happy to hear those words from your mouth."

He tried, with difficulty, to hide his smirk. "We're here," he said as he stepped out of the car and closed his door.

Katara unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the passenger door, and prepared to step out of the car. However, it seemed that Zuko was always one step ahead of her, as he was standing out side her door holding out his hand patiently.

Katara stepped out of the car and sent him an indignant glare. "I think I can walk on my own, thank you."

She tried to walk a few steps for good measure, but instantly regretted her decision as her body proceeded to tip over dangerously. Her placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"Stop being an idiot and let me carry you," he hissed in her ear. "You have now made it painfully obvious that you can't support yourself."

She didn't object as he lifted her onto his back and continued walking towards the destitute building. "Um…thanks, I guess." She mumbled, "Though I still don't forgive you for bringing me here in the first place."

"I don't want your forgiveness."

Katara shut her mouth. She didn't even know why she tried; she should have known that she could never have a real conversation with him.

"Duly noted." She mumbled under her breath.

He knocked on the door and waited. A tall boy with orange goggles opened the door and bowed slightly. "Welcome to the agency. **He awaits your return**, **Miss Katara.** **He** **has **good news and is very happy that you have **decided to come** to the meeting. He is in the meeting room **and** wants to know all about the assassination and **rescue** mission **you** and Spirit took part in."

The boy winked at Katara before leading them to the meeting room. She could feel Zuko become tense as the boy began to speak. Had he understood the message? It had been painfully obvious to her…

_He awaits your return, Miss Katara. He has decided to come and rescue you._

She bit back the urge to smile. Sokka may have been a grown man, but he wasn't any less of an idiot.

Mai glared at her from her seat across the room. Katara promptly returned her glare and wrapped her arms even tighter around Zuko's neck, causing him to stiffen slightly. She smirked as Mai clenched her fists in anger. It didn't matter that she didn't feel that way about Zuko; it was worth it to see Mai get riled up.

"Zuko and Miss Katara," said Boss in utter amusement. "You're late, take a seat. Preferably not together."

Katara's face flamed with anger and embarrassment as Zuko dropped her unceremoniously into the nearest chair. She glared at him as he sat next to her; he wasn't really doing anything to help the situation.

Zuko ignored her and directed his attention to Boss. "Why did you call us here, Boss?"

Boss smirked, "What can I say? I missed you and Miss Katara dearly."

Zuko and Katara rolled their eyes simultaneously causing Jet to whistle lowly. "First you let her ride around on your back, and now you're in sync?" He grinned and gave Zuko a wink, "It's about time, Zuko. I was beginning to think you were…"

He trailed off when he noticed Katara's angry glare. "As if I would ever consider letting him carry me around of my own free will! Get your mind out of the gutter!" She folded her arms across her chest, "If I didn't happen to have a massive hangover right now I'd…"

Boss's head snapped up as he narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"

Katara smiled deviously. "You didn't know? When Zuko was busy talking to his rather drunk girlfriend," she glared sharply at Mai who was holding her head in her hands, "your colleague forced me to drink some strange alcoholic drink. It almost cost us the entire mission."

"Did you have a dream last night?"

Boss was staring at her intently, as though thoroughly searching for signs of treachery. Katara clenched her fists and stared indignantly into his eyes. "How should I know? The only think I can remember about last night is alcohol and…" she trailed off, grasping on to a faint remnant of the ball that seemed to be floating around aimlessly in her head, "…burning flesh."

Boss simply nodded, and directed his attention to Zuko. "Your foolishness may have caused Miss Katara's life." He hissed, his tawny eyes burning in intense anger. "However, luckily, we have time to correct your moronic mistake."

"What are you talking about, Boss?" Zuko asked, slightly miffed at being called a moron, "She was never in any mortal danger."

Boss's piercing tawny eyes narrowed as he clasped his fingers together, "Have you ever heard the phrase 'Oil and water don't mix?'"

Zuko rolled his eyes; at this point in his career he was used to Boss's somewhat evasive behavior. "Yes, but I fail to see what that useless clique has to do with our conversation."

"Patience, Spirit." He stared at Zuko intensely, but he refused to be intimidated. "Alcohol and water don't quite mix either, because they have different densities. In other words, people who have a connection with water won't react well to alcohol at all."

Katara scoffed, "And of course you didn't bother to tell me about this before I made a huge fool out of myself last night."

To her surprise, Boss began to laugh. "You are quite an amusing child, Miss Katara."

She suddenly began to feel uncomfortable with his gaze upon her; it was as though his sharp eyes were cutting relentlessly into her skin. "Thanks… I guess. So, what is the real reason you have summoned us here today. I know you don't really want to hear about our near-failure of a mission."

Zuko sat up, suddenly interested. "Yes, what is the reason you have called us down here today, Boss? As you can see, the girl can hardly support her self in her present, pathetic position, so there isn't any reason at all that you would send us on another mission."

"Nonsense." Boss said with a wave of his hand, "You will receive your mission details at the end of this meeting and Miss Katara will still participate in her condition." He held up a hand at Zuko as he opened his mouth to argue, "However, this is not the reason I have summoned you here."

Mai, who now seemed to be over her state of absolute mortification and embarrassment, smirked haughtily at Katara, "It looks like you're not as important as you originally thought, _princesses_."

Katara wished she could wipe the smirk clear off her features. Instead, she opted to simply shrug and wave her hand dismissively, "I don't have time for your rather immature and pointless antics. I'm actually trying to pay attention to the conversation."

Jet leaned back into his chair and watched their verbal battle with a smug expression, " Do you know how long I've been waiting for a catfight to happen in this meeting room?" He sighed contentedly, "Dreams do come tru-"

Before he could even complete his sentence, Ty Lee hit him sharply in the back of the head. "You are absolutely incorrigible, did you know that?"

Jun rolled her eyes, "I'm surprised you even know what that means."

Ty Lee opened her mouth to retort, but Boss sent her an absolutely withering glare. "My dear ladies and gentlemen, I did not summon you here so you could fight amongst each other." He shook his head in feigned aggravation, "I brought you here so you could welcome back some of your comrades from their extended assassination mission."

The door to the meeting room swung open to reveal two rather imposing figures. One of them, Katara noticed, was absolutely beautiful in a deadly way. Her eyes were pools of rich dark amber, both dangerous and alluring at the same time. Two black, silky locks framed her heart-shaped face, accompanied by pouty ruby red lips.

Her partner was just as menacing, though much older. Katara could help but note that the man was quite well built for his age. His grayish-brown hair did not make him seem weak or frail; on the contrary, it seemed to give him some sort of regale. Needless to say, Katara was stunned as the pair made its way confidently across the meeting room and positioned themselves into their respective seats.

Boss smirked, "Good to have you back, Azula and Zhao."

"I suppose it is good to be back." The girl said as she placed her elbows on the table. "It was been quite a month."

Her partner smirked, "Indeed it has."

Boss quirked an eyebrow, "Care to tell us what happened, Azula?"

"We finally managed to evade that rebel group that has been tailing us." She smirked coldly, "It seems that all it took was a little bit of …_persuasion_, right Zhao?"

Zhao leaned forward confidently in his seat, "We captured one of their companions and threatened to kill her if they tried to interfere with our assassination mission." He chuckled lightly, "It seems as though we overestimated them, Boss. They were willing to do anything to get their comrade back safely."

Azula half-smiled, "It was all very amusing, really. Her hair was the most peculiar thing about her; it was pure white, like snow." She laughed, "She was so fragile and pathetic and kept pleading that we leave her comrades alone. It was the most fun I've had in a long time…"

Zhao shrugged. "Eventually, after we had accomplished the mission, we let her go. However, we have no idea whether she was able to reach her comrades or not. We didn't care to find out."

Katara shivered as she listened to the chilling story. What kind of people would willingly participate in the torture of a young girl? She didn't know why, but something about the girl they spoke about seemed strangely familiar…

"It's great to have you back, Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed happily, "It was beginning to get quite boring around here."

Mai folded her arms across her chest, "Yeah, and some people are beginning to believe they are much more important than they really are. Funny thing, isn't it Azula?"

Katara scowled. "I would really like to go home now…"

Everyone in the room looked at her sharply, as though she had said something incredibly taboo. It was then that she realized that she had expressed her true desire out loud. "Well, what I mean to say is…uh…"

Boss raised his hand to halt her speech. "You and Spirit are no longer needed here. Your mission details have been placed in their usual place. Good Luck."

She resisted the urge to narrow her eyes at him in suspicion; something was going on, and she didn't like it one bit. "If you say so…"

"Let's go." Zuko said, standing up suddenly. "They are no longer in need of our assistance."

Katara stared at her captor for any signs of distrust, but all she was unable to discern anything from his emotionless expression. She sighed in defeat; it seemed as though she was being paranoid. Perhaps they only wanted to send them home so they could prepare for their mission. Her silly idea must have been another side effect of the alcohol.

She let Zuko lift her onto his back without complaint. There was no use in arguing with him; at this point she had realized that he would never let her win. She smiled as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes; if he was going to humiliate her in front of the Agency, she was going to make it very, very uncomfortable for him.

Zuko stiffened at the sudden contact, nearly dropping Katara in the process. A light blush spread across his face like wildfire as he tightened his grip on her legs. He narrowed his eyes at Jet, who winked at him from across the room, and proceeded to walk out of the meeting room.

"Just what do you think you're doing, brat?" Zuko hissed when he was absolutely certain they were out of earshot. "I don't recall giving you permission to do that."

Katara smiled mischievously, "What, you mean this?"

She repeated her actions, but this time, she lingered slightly longer than necessary. "Yes, stop doing that right now."

She ignored him and did it again; only this time, she started tracing circles across his back with her index finger. "Aw, am I making this difficult for you? Wouldn't it be easier if you let my walk on my own?"

"You're clearly not capable of supporting yourself." He said through gritted teeth; he was not going to let her know that she was affecting him. "I can't let you get hurt again. Boss already doesn't think I'm skilled enough to handle you."

Katara could help but feel a little hurt by his comment. Apparently, she had misinterpreted his emotions. For a moment, she had thought that he actually _cared_ for her, but in reality all he seemed to care for was approval in Boss's eyes. The concern that she detected in his eyes each time he caught her was directed towards his reputation, not her well-being.

She sighed and opted to rest her head on his shoulder. What was _wrong_ with her today? Since when did she give a damn what Zuko thought about her? She wished she could attribute all of her strange feelings to the alcohol, but somehow she knew there was some other factor. Something must have happened between them to cause her emotions to disagree with her rationality.

But that didn't seem to make sense. The only physical contact she could remember them having was when they had danced the night before, and during the entire exchange he seemed to be taunting and mocking her in the most unattractive manner…

Katara could feel the heat rising to her face as she shook her head. She knew she was lying to herself; his actions were unbelievably attractive. Although she hated to admit it, she had felt at ease in those few fleeting moments they had spent in close proximity. Even now, as he carried her, she couldn't help relishing in his warmth and protection, even if it wasn't directed towards her. As she closed her eyes and concentrated on her emotions, she forget who they were or what they were fighting for; she forget that this man had threatened to kill her when given the opportunity; and she forgot that she hated him for was doing to her, both physically and mentally.

Zuko opened the door to his car and placed her roughly into the passenger seat. As she watched him buckle her seatbelt, her eyes focused on his scar. Suddenly everything flowed back to her with stunning clarity. This man was a ruthless killer, a man that wanted nothing else but to end her life, and, most importantly a man she _hated_. Her eyes traced the peculiar shape of his scar with surreal satisfaction. She had just realized the true reason she liked his scar so much.

It brought her back to the cold, harsh reality**  
**

* * *

The boy with the orange goggles made his way out of the Agency. It seemed as though they were having some sort of important meeting, the perfect opportunity for him to steal away. He flipped open his phone and dialed his boss's number. 

"Hey, Toph. This is Teo." He whispered, looking around for hidden Agency spies as he spoke. "Is Sokka around?"

"Snoozles?" Toph inquired.

Teo rolled his eyes. "Quit playing around. You know who I'm talking about."

"Geez, what's got you all riled up?" Toph sighed, "Snoozles isn't in at the moment. Something about taking Yue out somewhere… I don't really know."

"Well, please tell him I've deliered the message as he requested." He said, "Also tell him that his sister was acting quite strangely. She allowed that assassin to actually carry her today."

"Do I have to?" She asked, slightly annoyed at being given such a task, "He'll be in a bad mood all day when he hears about that."

He rolled his eyes again. "Yes, Toph. You have to."

She sighed in aggravation. "Fine, I'll just make Twinkletoes do it."

Teo smiled; she had to be the laziest girl on the planet. "Whatever, just make sure someone tells him about it."

"Alright, Teo. I'll see you whenever your shift is over. Bye."

"Bye, Toph."

* * *

"Ok, tell me again why we're wearing these clothes?" 

She stared down at her clothing: a shiny blue halter-top, a black skirt, and black boots. Although it was a definite improvement over the Hello Kitty paraphernalia, it was still on the tacky side. She had to restrain herself from laughing at Zuko; he looked like he had been plucked straight out of a crime syndicate.

Zuko sighed in aggravation. "Because we're going to a … club." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "How many times do we have to go over this?"

Katara laughed lightly. "I actually heard you the first time, I just wanted to hear you say it again."

When Zuko had told her where the assassination would take place, she almost squealed in delight. She had never been to one before, but from what she had heard, they were pretty fun. She was glad that the effects of her hangover had worn off for the most part. The only downside to the situation was…

"Remember, we're not here to mess around. We have only come here so we can get the job done." Zuko hissed. "Now," Zuko said as he cleared his throat, "hold onto my arm…"

…They had to pretend they were in love.

Katara grabbed his arm and held in her own. "Why can't I just stare at you adoringly from _across the room_?"

Zuko continued to walk forward, stopping only to flash his ID to the bouncer. The man raised his eyebrows, but allowed them to pass." As much as I would prefer that to our present predicament, I can't allow you to do that. These were Boss's specific orders."

Katara huffed and grabbed his arm even tighter as they walked through the doors of the club. As she assessed her surroundings, she felt slightly disappointed. The "club" consisted of several men gambling, laughing, and…

Katara blushed a bright red as she turned away, "What kind of club is this?" she whispered harshly, "And what are we doing here?"

Zuko ignored her as he walked towards a group of men engrossed in deep conversation. "Excuse me," he asked, "Have you seen a man by the name of Li Tōsen?"

One of the men turned around to face him. "That depends who wants to talk to him."

Katara took a deep breath. _Ok, Katara, time to put on an act, no matter how much it makes you want to wretch. _

Katara smiled shyly, "Zuzu and I wanted to talk to you about something important, sir."

The man stared at her as though he had only just realized she existed. "And you are…?"

"Ka-," Zuko stepped on her foot. **Hard. **"Kitana Tōshirō, sir."

"What is it that you wish to speak to be about?"

She grasped Zuko's hand even tighter. "Well, sir. We were kind of hoping that we could speak privately about the matter." She looked at him with pleading eyes. "It would mean the world to us."

The man smiled in a way that it did not reach his eyes. "My pleasure, Miss Tōshirō. Please follow me."

Katara and Zuko followed Tōushen into a room where he motioned for the two of them to sit down. "So, Mrs. Tōshirō, I suppose you wanted to discuss your wedding? If you'd like, we can discuss dates I am available."

Zuko shook his head and reached into his pocket. "Actually, we wanted to talk to you about something else entirely."

The man looked confused. "I don't know what you've heard, but I issue marriage licenses. I can't help you with anything else other than that."

Zuko stood up, "We were wondering if you would kindly agree to letting us-"

The man stood up as well, an irritating smirk on his face. "Let me guess. You want to kill me, is that it?"

Zuko felt for his gun in his pocket. "You're smarter than I gave you credit."

The man reached into his pocket as well, "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not exactly ready to die yet."

Two men simultaneously pulled out their guns with absolute precision and grace. Katara watched in awe as she pulled her own gun from its holster and aimed at the man. "That's too bad," She said, wondering where her sudden confident demeanor came from. "Because it seems to me that you are outnumbered."

The man chuckled, "Not quite."

He pulled out another gun from his pocket and aimed it at her. "It seems we are at a stand-still. If any of us dares to shoot, it will result in all of our deaths."

Katara suddenly wished she had never said anything.

Zuko, however, didn't seem to be daunted by their compromising predicament. In fact, he seemed as pompous as ever. "It seems we have underestimated you. However, you seem to have underestimated me as well."

He dropped his gun and unsheathed his swords from under his clothing. "I won't be needing this, Kitana," he said as he kicked his gun in her direction.

She grabbed it and aimed both guns at Tōsen, who looked significantly less confident now that he was truly outnumbered. His face suddenly contorted with anger and he began shooting wildly. Katara dodged in panic, shooting just as wildly. She noticed that Zuko seemed to be the only one who remained calm. She looked in awe as he easily defected each of the bullets with his broadswords as though it were child's play.

It seemed as though Tosen noticed this as well and began to focus his attention on Katara. She winced as she felt two of his many bullets simultaneously graze her thigh and upper arm. Her arm was raised to shoot, but for some reason, she was unable to pull the trigger.

Tosen smirked at her, noticing her inability to shoot. "For an assassin, you're not very skilled or agile like your partner."

He dodged Zuko's sword and shot another bullet in her direction. "In fact, if I didn't know any better, I wouldn't think you were an assassin at all."

Katara aimed her gun again, this time at his head, but try as she might, she could not make her fingers pull the trigger. "You don't know me." She whispered, "You don't know anything about me."

He dodged a series of Zuko's sword thrusts. "I don't have to know you. I can tell from your movements that you do not have the capacity to take a human life."

Her eyes widened. This was her biggest fear; a target realizing that she was not a true assassin. "Don't tell me what I cannot do."

Tosen shot several bullets from his gun and shook his head at her. "It's really quite sad, isn't it? An innocent, docile girl such as yourself, forced into a world of dogs."

"Shut up!" She said as she closed her eyes, "Shut the hell up you worthless-"

"You idiot!" Zuko exclaimed. "Don't let your guard down!"

It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. One moment he was scolding her for her inexperience, and the next, he was tumbling to the ground in front of her. His body descended to the ground in sick, slow motion. She somehow managed to grab hold of him before he hit the floor.

"Zuko!" Katara cried, while easing his body to the ground. She cringed as her eyes centered on the hole in his chest. "Why did you…?"

To her surprise, he smiled at her. It was not of the irritating smirks or sneers she had become accustomed to in the course of her captivity. It was a true smile, and a beautiful one at that. "I told you I never lose. I…guess I'm capable of protecting you after all."

"You are such an idiot…" she whispered, surprised at the tears that were now trailing down her cheeks. "How dare you…"

"How truly touching."

Katara turned around to face Tosen, who seemed to be smiling as well. "However, I'm sorry to say it's going to have to end very soon."

She stood up, aiming her gun at Tosen's face, her eyes shining with rage. "I will kill you."

Tosen laughed. "I thought we already went over this. You don't have the ability to kill anyone."

Katara closed her eyes and suddenly remembered the day that Zuko had taught her how to shoot. She could clearly remember her hesitance at wielding such a powerful, deadly weapon. Her fear had frozen her then just as it was now, but she had gotten over it.

**_"__Relax."_**

She took a deep breath and loosened her grasp on her gun.

**_She lowered her quavering hand and turned toward her captor. "I… can't do this."_**

She could do this; she had to.

**"_You're weaker than I thought." He walked toward her until his body was directly behind her own. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck as he spoke, "How do you expect to punish the murderer of your parents if you don't have the means to exact your revenge?"_**

If she didn't kill him, she would never find out who killed her parents, she would never see Sokka again, and she would never escape from this hellhole.

**_He grabbed her roughly arm and lifted it up to its prior position while using his other arm to lightly press her body against his own. She bit back the gasp threatening to escape from her throat and slowly relaxed against him. "Now shoot."_**

She closed her eyes, fumbled for the trigger, and pulled it back with her index finger.

**_Exhaling, she slowly opened her eyes to observe the result. To her surprise, her bullet was embedded in the center of the white circle._**

She watched in slight horror, and slight satisfaction as Tosen fell to the ground, a surprised expression on his face.

**_Zuko smirked lazily. "Not bad." She could feel the cold air envelop her body as he relinquished his hold on her arm. "Now do it again."_ **

She walked toward Tosen's body, her face void of all expression. Her eyes centered on his shocked face as she raised the gun to his forehead. "I hope you have learned your lesson." She hissed. "Don't ever underestimate an opponent, no matter how weak they may seem."

She pulled the trigger again, silencing him forever.

Suddenly, Katara heard clapping from behind her. She turned around and aimed her gun at the doorway. "Whose there?" she demanded, her voice suddenly loosing its deadly tone. "Show yourself!"

She watched as the Azula emerged from the darkness and into the room. "I must commend you. For a moment, I thought you were too weak to kill him."

Katara narrowed her eyes at her, "You were here the whole time?"

Azula stared at her nails in disinterest. "What of it?"

"Why didn't you bother to help us?" Katara exclaimed, "Why didn't you try to save Zuko?"

Azula laughed, causing Katara to shiver. "You talk as if he is dead." She rolled her eyes, "Even if he was, Zuko is not my concern. He proved that he was weak tonight when he couldn't complete the mission."

She walked over to her and lifted her chin with her index finger, "However, you have more than proven yourself tonight."

Katara narrowed her eyes at her, "If you didn't come here to help us, then what _did _you come here for?"

Azula folded her arms across her chest. "I've come to give you _this_."

She handed Katara a vial of white powder causing Katara to raise an eyebrow. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Azula smirked. "The vial contains a highly deadly powder called sodium cyanide. Once your target consumes more than 100–200 mg of this powder, they will lose consciousness within one minute. After 45 minutes, the target will go into a state of deep sleep and will die due to cardiac arrest within two hours if they don't receive medical treatment." She placed a strand of hair behind her ear. "This is your final mission. Once you do this, Boss will tell you the name of your parents' murderer."

Katara narrowed her eyes. It all seemed way too easy. "When do I have to kill this person?"

Azula's smile widened. "By the end of the week."

Katara closed her eyes and grasped the vial tightly in her hand. "Where will he be located."

"It's your responsibility to find out." Azula said as her smile grew even wider, "Though I don't think it will be very difficult."

Katara stared at Azula, not quite liking the expression on her face. "What is his name?" she asked, though she was now certain that she knew the answer, "Do I know him?"

Azula walked over to her and leaned in so closely that Katara could feel her hair brush against her cheek. "His name is Zuko." She whispered, "Zuko Kurosawa."

TBC…

* * *

Authoress Note**: Dodges bullets knives, and tomatoes thrown at her... **Ahem. Please review to let me know what you think about this chapter…gulps Remember, constructive critisism is encouraged, but flames are ignored. Next chapter will contain a difficult decision and even more deception! See you next chapter! 

PS: The season finale was absolutely awesome!!! We finally got to see some Zutara! Even though it took a turn for the worst (stupid Zuko) I still believe there is hope! **Waves Zutarian flag **Long live Zutara!!!


	10. Part I: Duplicity

Chapter Ten: Duplicity

* * *

"**We are only falsehood, duplicity, contradiction; we both conceal and disguise ourselves from ourselves."**

**--Blaise Pascal**

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure you know what you're doing?" 

Sokka sighed; it seemed like they had gone over this a million times. "Of course. Don't I always know what I'm doing?"

He heard a guffaw from the corner of the room and directed a glare towards its owner. "Seriously, Snoozles?" Toph quirked an eyebrow, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

The boy glared at her, "I didn't ask for your opinion, Toph." He turned away from her, "Now why don't you run along and join your little boyfriend. I'm busy."

Before he could even blink, he felt a sharp pain in his shin. "Get a life, you idiot." She turned so he couldn't see her blush, "I didn't want to listen to your mushy conversation anyways. It's probably bad for my teeth."

Sokka rolled his eyes and waited for Toph to leave the room before he spoke. "Yue… you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

The young woman looked at him, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "How can you tell me I have nothing to worry about? Anything could happen… they could…" she trailed off, unable to finish her thought.

He gently lifted her chin with his thumb and smiled brightly at her, his eyes tracing every bruise and cut on her porcelain skin. "I have to do this. I can't bear to lose someone else who is important to me." His eyes flashed with anger, "I swear, if they lay a hand on you again…"

As she gently embraced him, he could feel her wracking with silent tears. "Sokka…I…"

"Shh." He held her at arms length and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "You're making me feel horrible, you know that."

Yue smiled slightly as she hesitantly pressed her lips against his own. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

"If you keep doing that," he whispered huskily against her lips while tightening his hold on her waist, "I might not be able to leave at all."

She smiled again, tears suddenly forgotten. "Have I ever told you how much of a liar you are?"

He rested his head in the crook of her neck, "Maybe once or twice…"

She rested her head on his, "You have to promise me you'll come back alive."

"I promise." He said, "I'll bring Katara back if it's the last thing I do.**"  
**

* * *

'_You only have one window of opportunity, Katara. I advise you take it.'_

Those had been Azula's parting words; words that Katara was now certain would haunt her endlessly for the next week.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. The perfect opportunity had manifested itself. If she did this, she could finally seek her revenge as well as rid the world of a ruthless assassin. It was like killing two birds with one proverbial stone; it should have been easy.

However, as she kneeled over Zuko's fallen form and stared at his pained face, she wasn't so sure where she stood anymore. Her rationality ceased to exist the moment she witnessed his absolute vulnerability.

She winced as her eyes traveled to the hole in his chest. It seemed to have missed his heart, judging by the fact that he was still breathing, but she was certain that if they didn't seek medical attention soon, he would bleed to death. She wondered what had made Tosen shoot him in such a manner. She decided that the man either had horrible aim, or he knew just how to make someone suffer.

_Why don't I end his suffering? _She mused; _He's going to die anyway._

For reasons unknown, her thoughts brought tears to her eyes. She rubbed her eyes furiously, in a failed attempt to stop the tears from flowing. "What is wrong with me?" she wondered, holding her shaking hands in front of her, "Why can't I…?"

She suddenly felt angry with herself for being weak, with fate for placing her in such a compromising situation and, most importantly, with Zuko for making her feel this way.

In her anger, she folded her arms over his body and screamed, not caring if she could be heard. It didn't matter that her clothes were now drenched in Zuko's blood or even that they were in such proximity. The only thing that mattered at the moment was figuring out what the HELL was she supposed to do.

"I hate you so much, you know that?" she whispered, "I hate you so much… but why does the thought of your death seem so unbearable?"

He didn't answer. "You were the one who got me into this situation in the first place." She continued, her face still pressed firmly against his chest. "You captured me, hurt me, and mocked me. You threatened to kill me… and yet, for some reason, I can't bear to do the same, no matter how much I wish to."

The tears were falling indefinitely now as she smiled slightly, "I guess that makes me the weak one after all, doesn't it?"

"…No."

Her head snapped up from its position on his chest. "Zuko?"

His eyes were slightly open now and staring at her, "Being weak…has nothing to do with if you have the ability to kill or not." He paused, taking a deep, laboring breath before sitting up. "The only people who are weak are those who refuse to face their challenges head on."

As Katara stared at his chest, her mouth opened slightly in astonishment. "How…?"

He followed her gaze to the left side of his chest and placed his hand where his gunshot wound should have been. "I don't know."

She shook her head to make sure she wasn't suddenly going crazy. Her eyes landed on her hands, now devoid of all blood. Was it all an illusion?

_No._ _It's not an illusion._ She thought as she grasped onto the tiny vial in her fist and stared at her blood-soaked clothing. _But I sure as hell wish it was._

* * *

"Aang, would you stop doing that?" 

The young boy cocked he head, "Doing what?"

"Smiling."

"Sorry." he said with a shrug, "I can't help it. Did you hear, Toph? Sokka is going to save her! She's coming back."

"Of course I heard it, numbskull." She mumbled, "You've told me at least a million times."

"I'm so excited!" he exclaimed, ignoring her comment. "I haven't talked to her in a month. I mean, I've seen her in her room sleeping and-"

"In her underwear." Toph said with a smirk.

Aang's face suddenly turned a bright red. "H-how did you know about that?"

"I have my sources."

Aang laughed nervously, "Y-yeah. Well, anyways, I'm sure you'll really like her. She's a really nice person. And she's very pretty…"

Toph scoffed and stomped her foot, causing Aang to suddenly fall over. "Get your head out of the clouds, Twinkletoes. We have more important things to worry about than your sickening puppy love for Sugar Queen."

Aang pushed himself off the ground. "I do not love-"

"Don't even bother." Toph whispered dangerously, "I can tell that you're lying."

Aang suddenly looked take aback. "Well? So what if I do? It doesn't have anything to do with you." He folded his arms across his chest. "You're just angry because you have a heart of stone."

The moment he let the words out of his mouth, he knew he shouldn't have. She closed her eyes and turned away from him, her hands clenched in fists. "Is that what you really think of me, Aang?"

His eyes widened; this was the first time she had ever said his name. "You think I'm just some helpless blind girl without a heart?" She clenched her fists tighter, "You just…pity me, don't you."

Aang suddenly felt the guilt wash over him, "Toph-I.."

"I don't want your pity." She said, her voice quivering with every syllable. "Save it for someone who cares."

She took a deep breath and turned on her heel, skillfully keeping her tears at bay. It was foolish of her to have thought that he could ever possibly…

"Nice going, blind girl."

Toph quickly wiped her eyes and groaned. She didn't even have to turn around to know who was speaking; the tactlessness and idiocy gave her away. "What do you want, Meng?"

The girl ran her hands through her finally wavy shoulder-length locks. "I wish to… make a deal with you."

Toph quirked an eyebrow in amusement, "Oh?" She inquired, folding her arms across her chest. "Last time I checked, we weren't exactly the best of friends."

She actually hated the girl with a passion, but she decided to keep that little detail to herself.

Meng's lip curled and Toph could feel her anger resonate through the ground. "Don't get me wrong." She said, observing her nails, "I still think you are a good-for-nothing, incorrigible, little insect. But I think there is some fun to be had around here."

_Her insults are slowly improving._ Toph mused, slightly impressed. _It probably took her all day to think of that one._

She took a step forward and sniffed the air. Surely enough there were traces of fresh ink in the air. She rolled her eyes._ Why am I not surprised?_

Meng looked down at the writing on her hand in pure satisfaction. She had, indeed, spent all day looking in dictionaries for the perfect insult. It was a wonder she hadn't thought of doing that before. It was much more effective…

"So, what do you say?"

Toph closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "You haven't even told me what I'm getting myself into and your asking me if I want to participate." She shook her head, "I know for a fact that making a deal with you is synonymous with making a deal with the devil's advocate."

Meng cocked her head. "Why not the devil himself?"

Toph smirked irritatingly, "You're not nearly as clever enough."

Meng's face flushed in indignation. "Fine! If you don't want to do this, I won't force you." She smiled deviously, "However, you're going to miss out on a lot of fun at another's expense."

Toph's eyes lit up. "I see. You didn't mention that part…"

"The end result will benefit the both of us." Meng said, coaxingly. "However, once we get rid of the menace, it's every girl for herself. Clear?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Toph stated simply, "Now what is it that you want me to do?"

_So you think I have a heart of stone, Aang? _Toph smiled slightly, masking the slight pain she felt in her chest._ You have no idea._

* * *

"Boss, all the preparations are ready." Azula reported, a sickeningly satisfied smirk gracing her features. "It's a shame really. Zuzu could have been great, if he wasn't such an idiot." 

He looked up at her in mild amusement. "Really, Azula, you disappoint me."

She quirked an eyebrow in inquiry. "Do tell."

"The girl may have the capacity to commit murder, but that does not prove that she is ruthless." He rested his chin in the palm of his hand, "She will not do it."

Azula shook her head. "If you already know the outcome of this, why do you even bother testing her?"

Boss smirked, "Inner turmoil is the key to drawing out her gift. Once she realizes that she is not capable of killing Zuko, she'll be under my control forever."

Azula looked thoroughly impressed. "You never intended to tell her who killed her parents, did you?"

"Ah." Boss shook his head, "That's where you are wrong. I fully intend to tell her when the timing is right. However, I will push her to her breaking point until then. For now, I will allow Zuko to protect her as long as he is able."

"Pure genius." Azula said in mock awe as she walked out of his room, making sure to close the door behind her. She walked forward until she was absolutely sure he was out of earshot. "Pure idiocy is more like it. Why can't he see what a useless, weak fool Zuzu is?"

Mai and Ty Lee nodded as they followed her through the hallways of the Agency. They looked at each other anxiously, knowing that whatever the girl was thinking, it wasn't good.

"Azula." Ty Lee said cautiously. "I know that look. What are you thinking?"

Azula smiled maliciously, causing Ty Lee to flinch. "I'm only doing what's best for the Agency."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure massacring a large amount of people constitutes as a benefit of the Agency."

Azula laughed. "Although that sounds thrilling, that's not exactly what I had in mind."

Mai and Ty Lee both let out breaths that they didn't know they had been holding. Perhaps her plan wouldn't be so bad…

"I think it's time to stir up some trouble." Azula said, feigning a yawn. "It's been a bit dull lately, don't you think?

Her unwilling accomplices groaned simultaneously; they had spoken to soon**.  
**

* * *

"For the millionth time, brat, I don't need your help." 

He was lying to her of course; the wound in his chest wasn't completely healed and his legs felt as though they could give out at any moment. However, any pain was bearable compared to the constant fluttering feeling in his stomach due to their close proximity.

Katara rolled her eyes as he tried, in vain, to wrench her arm from its position on his waist. "Quit being such a baby and let me help you!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with weariness and anger, "Consider this payback for leaving me alone back there."

Zuko remained silent as he allowed her to lift him off the ground and slowly lead him out of the room. He braced himself for what lay beyond the door. It would have been much easier if Boss had planned the assassination for some other day, in another location. However, for some reason unknown to him, he decided to assign him to yet another suicide mission.

"It seems this is the only way out."

Zuko tilted his head slightly to look at her. "You have an uncanny ability to state the obvious."

She glared at him and tightened her hold on his waist. "I'm just letting you know that we have to be ready for whatever lies beyond this threshold. No matter how drunk they may be, the men will want to know what happened in there."

"Well." He said, half-smiling, half-grimacing, "I guess we'll have to tell them then."

Katara nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, I guess so."

Together, they walked through the doorframe and prepared for the onslaught of questions that would undoubtedly await them. However, as they entered the bar they were met with the telltale stench of burnt flesh. Katara's eyes widened as she looked upon the multiple dead bodies, each burnt beyond recognition. Their lifeless eyes were filled with terror, their faces mangled and broken.

Needless to say, Katara was stunned.

"Azula."

"Azula?" Katara looked down at him in surprise. "How could Azula do this? She…she wasn't even here."

_She sure as hell was._ She thought, suddenly remembering the vile in her pocket. _But Zuko doesn't need to know that._

"Only Azula is capable of doing such a thing." Zuko said as he narrowed his eyes. "She kills with a reckless abandon and relishes in it. That is why Boss trusts her to get the job done. She has absolutely no qualms about murdering innocent people. It fills her with joy to see others suffer."

"Let's go." Katara whispered as her body began to shake. "I can't stand to see this anymore."

Zuko didn't answer, he just allowed her to guide him through the club until they were outside. He couldn't help wondering why Boss's favorite pupil came to such an obscure establishment. It didn't make any sense. For as long as he had known Azula, she only agreed to assignments that provided her with large amounts of money and glorified her in Boss's eyes. What was so different about this place? Why would Boss send her if…

Suddenly, it came to him. "What did Azula say to you?"

He could feel her body tense for a split second, effectively proving his theory. "She didn't say anything to me." She lied. "I didn't even know she was here."

Before Zuko could respond, a black limo pulled up in front of them. They looked at each other quizzically before cautiously stepping towards it, waiting for a response. The back windows rolled down, causing Katara to tighten her hold on Zuko's waist.

"Well, well, well." A voice hissed through the window, "If it isn't Spirit and the tramp."

Katara rolled her eyes, recognizing the voice immediately. "I'm not even going to bother stooping down to your level. It's a waste of my time, energy, and brain cells." She placed her index finger on her chin in mock pensiveness. "Although, I doubt you know much about the latter since you are in desperate need of them."

The girl's lip curled in anger as she opened the door for them to enter. Katara smirked in satisfaction as she made herself a comfortable buffer between the girl and Zuko. This, of course, only served to make her even angrier.

"Mai," Zuko said in an attempt to cut through the palpable tension in the air. "What are you doing here?"

Mai frowned slightly at his tone. "The agency heard of your dilemma and decided to send me over to collect you." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Although, if you hadn't risked your life protecting that idiot of a partner, you wouldn't be in this predicament."

"Hello?" Katara objected, "If you haven't noticed, I'm sitting right next to you."

They both ignored her, much to Katara's chagrin. "Boss was spying on me again?" Zuko hissed angrily, "Why did he do that? Did he not think I was capable of handling this mission on my own?"

"Clearly." Katara muttered darkly, "If not, why would he send such a nuisance to rescue you?"

Mai sent her a vicious glare. "I advise you to hold your tongue if you would like to keep it."

Katara glared back at her. "Empty threats will get you nowhere."

Zuko pressed his fingers against his temple in irritation. It was going to be one long ride home**.  
**

* * *

"_What have I told you about coming into my room when I'm not around Azula?"_

"_You've told me that privacy is key; it is something I should never infringe upon." The young girl rolled her eyes at her brother and continued to jump on his bed as if he didn't exist. "Can you explain what that means, big brother?"_

_Zuko folded his arms over his chest in aggravation. "It means that little girls like you aren't allowed to play in their brother's rooms without permission."_

_She laughed, "Whose going to make me? Mom?"_

"_Yes, actually." Zuko said smugly, "I'll tell her when she gets back."_

_Azula's smile widened immensely, "Don't you get it, you idiot?"_

"_Don't call me that."_

_She jumped off of his bed, her eyes filled with mirth. "I'll call you whatever I want! Mom's not here to tell me off and she's never coming back."_

_Zuko rolled his eyes. "You must think I'm really stupid if you expect me to believe that."_

"_I'm telling the truth." Azula twirled around him, "Mom's never coming back, and it's all your fault Zuzu!"_

"_You're lying." Zuko placed his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out her voice. "You always lie…"_

"_I'm telling the truth, big brother," she said in a mocking tone. "You murdered our mother. It's all your fau-"_

_Before she could even react, Azula found herself pushed against the wall. Her eyes widened as she looked up at her brother's anger-ridden face. "Shut up!" he screamed, his eyes flashing with uncontrolled rage, "Just shut the hell up!"_

_For the first time in her life, Azula became completely silent. "You're a monster; everybody hates you. The only reason that anyone can stand to look at you is because they pity you. You are a liar, a cheater, and a sociopath; you don't care about anyone but yourself. Even mom hates you! She can't stand the fact that you, her own daughter, are such a selfish human being. So please, do me and the rest of the world a favor and shut up!"_

_A normal child would have cried; however, Azula was anything but. She simply shrugged off her brother's hold on her shoulders and grabbed his neck with both of her hands and smirked. "That is precisely why I am the prodigy and you are nothing. No matter what you do, I will always be the coveted, superior child. The people who hate me are insignificant insects, including mother. I'm glad that she's dead; she was the only person pathetic and useless enough to love you."_

_She relinquished her hold on his neck and climbed back onto his bed. "Now, what were you saying about privacy, Zuzu?"_

_Zuko gasped for air, silent tears falling down his face in thin trails. "N-nothing." He whispered, "Just leave me alone."_

_Azula smirked, "That's what I thought."_

_And with that she continued jumping on the bed, an eerily jovial expression on her face._

* * *

Zuko shook out of his stupor and held back the urge to bang his head against the window. There was only one explanation for that memory; he was going crazy. He supposed if anyone were trapped in a car with two people who obviously hated each other for unknown reasons, they would be prone to insanity as well. However, this particular recollection was so absolutely bizarre that it could have easily been a hallucination. 

The weirdest thing about the memory wasn't that Azula had clearly overpowered him (he had seen her do the same thing to many a comrade and enemy alike) it was the fact that she had called him her big brother. The only way he and Azula could he related was if hell froze over and, last time he checked, his life wasn't anywhere near freezing point. It didn't make any sense, especially the nonsense about him being responsible for his mother's death…

"We're here," Katara mumbled, effectively interrupting his thought process. "If it had taken one more minute and I would have killed myself."

"What a shame." Mai said sarcastically. "Move to the front seat, and out of my sight. Spirit and I have a very important matter to attend to."

Katara opened her mouth to protest, but Zuko sent her a meaningful glance. "Fine, mother." she said. "Since you asked so nicely."

She opened her door and walked out of the car, leaving Zuko and Mai alone. The former rolled his eyes, "You know that brat is too nosy for her own good, right? If she wants to listen to the conversation, she will do everything in her power to do so."

Mai smiled slyly and pointed to the tinted glass divider between the front and back seats. "I doubt she'll be able to hear anything. It's sound proof."

"That doesn't mean she won't still try."

Mai rolled her eyes. "She's truly the biggest idiot that I have even had the misfortune of meeting." She shook her head and looked at him, her face completely deadpan. "But that is beside the point. You may not be aware of it, but you are in grave danger, Spirit."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

She shook her head once again. "I can't tell you. However, I can tell you what you can do to save yourself."

"What?"

"Kill her." Mai said simply, "Kill her, in the most brutal, dehumanizing way possible."

"Kill who?" Zuko asked, though he was sure he already knew the answer to his own question.

"Kill your prisoner." Mai whispered, with a wicked smile, "Kill her, and I assure you that your memory will be restored and your life will be spared."

"Why should I believe you?" Zuko asked, "For whatever reason, Boss has searched for years for this girl. Killing her would not only enrage him, it would push me further away from my goal."

"You're not even thinking about your goals." Mai sneered, "You don't want to kill her because you've become emotionally attached to her."

Zuko narrowed his eyes at her strange statement. "Emotionally attach-"

"Don't even try to deny it, Spirit." Mai laughed dryly and looked him straight in the eye. "I see the way you look at her when you think no one's looking. You become concerned for her when there is clearly no reason to be. You watch her like a hawk out of the corner of your eye. You even jeopardize your own missions to ensure her safety!"

"I have only done what Boss has instructed me to do up to this point." Zuko hissed angrily, "I have been forced to protect that girl; I had absolutely no say in the matter. Don't you dare tell me I'm attached to that useless excuse for a girl!"

"Normally, your yelling would intimidate me," Mai said simply. Her obsidian eyes were still locked onto his; she was not going to back down. "You used to regard everything with a cold indifference, not caring if you had the power to influences the opinions of others. The only thing that mattered to you was your memory. But now, it seems as if the emotions are too much for you to handle. You can't deal with the fact that someone was able to finally break into the impenetrable wall surrounding your heart. You can't deal with the fact that she is much more than a petty mission. You can't deal with the fact that you've fallen in love with her."

Zuko laughed humorlessly. "Fallen in love? I don't know what the hell that means. I assure you, my hatred for her runs deeper than you know. The brat is a liability; she has absolutely no affect on me."

Mai looked unconvinced. "No, prove to the agency that Spirit, the great assassin, hasn't gone soft. The girl thinks she only has to commit one more murder before she's off the hook, but Boss wants you to get rid of her before then. He has just realized that she is too weak and is no longer of any use to him. He has promised that if you complete this mission, you will receive all of your memories."

Zuko stared into her eyes, unable to believe what he had just heard. Everything he had worked so hard for was finally going to pay off. All he had to do was kill the annoying self-centered, nosy, little brat in exchange of his identity. It almost seemed to good to be true.

"Consider it done."

Mai smirked, "You have exactly one week."

"I don't need that much time." Zuko whispered, his face impassive once again. "It'll only take a second."

Mai nodded. "Welcome back, Spirit."

As she watched Zuko open the door and let himself out of the car she couldn't help but feel guilty for lying to him. She closed her eyes and let out a deep laboring sigh before she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Azula's number**.  
**

* * *

_Katara sat against the wall and rested her head on her knees. She was showered, fully dressed, and ready for bed, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to step near Zuko's bed. She suddenly felt dirty and worthless; she was nothing but a back stabbing liar who had willingly sold her soul to the devil or, at least, his equivalent._

_Zuko stared at the wall adjacent from his bed where his broadswords hung. Each blade was beautifully crafted and allowed him to complete each and every mission with ease. However, they were nothing but his instruments. The rest depended on his ability to execute and follow through._

_She fingered the vial in her pocked and silently wondered how she would do it. She could slip it into his food the next morning when he wasn't looking, or perhaps discreetly sprinkle some into his mouth when he fell asleep, but none of the options seemed particularly appealing to her._

_A nice clean cut would end her life quickly; a messy job would cause her to suffer a more painful, excruciating death. He couldn't decide which one would be better in the long run. Either way, the blood would leave a rather disgusting stain on his immaculate white carpet._

_She grasped the vial in her hand and stood up; it was now or never._

_He pulled his broadswords out of their sheaths; he was ready._

_They turned to each other, identical impassive expressions on their faces. _

"_Zuko Kurosawa…" Katara said silently, a white vial in her hands. "I've been sent to kill you."_

"_Katara Mitsuo…" Zuko said, "I will kill you."_

_Katara shook her head. "I don't have any doubts that you will kill me, Zuko." She smiled sadly, "I can see it in your eyes; you have the ability to end anyone's life without a second thought. You and I are truly different human beings after all. I have to think about it before I raise a gun to someone's head. I think about the consequences of my actions and how they will affect others in the long run. I tried being you for one day, and I find myself regretting every moment of it. I feel my soul being ripped apart even as we speak because of the single life I have taken._

"_When I was presented with this opportunity, I should have been thrilled. You were the one who ruined my life, after all. You were the one that destroyed my independence, integrity, and morality. You were the one who turned me into a monster, a mere shadow of my former-self, an assassin who, like yourself, sold her soul in order to gain some information about her past. _

"_Yet as I stand here in front of you, I cannot bring myself to kill you. Even though you have killed a countless number of people, I cannot hate you. Although your eyes are filled with nothing but contempt for me, I cannot express anything but happiness that you are alive and standing before me." She closed her eyes and smiled, this time he could feel the joy radiate from her face. "I'm sorry, but this is one mission that I cannot complete."_

"_That's too bad." Zuko said as he slowly walked over to her, his sword at the ready, "I, however, am a completely different story. You are the only thing standing between me and my memory. Once I kill you, I'll have my freedom."_

"_So what are you waiting for, Zuko?" Katara asked. Her eyes were still closed and her face looked eerily serene. "Do it. Kill me so we can both be free."_

_Zuko roughly grabbed her arm and slammed her against the wall. To his surprise, she didn't flinch, or cry out in pain; she only continued to smile, as though openly welcoming her death. He was so close to her that he could feel the warmth radiating from her body, so close that he could feel her breath tickling his neck, so close that he could easily end her life. _

_Zuko pressed his sword to her neck and watched in fascination as the bright red liquid trickled down the cold metal of his blade. In one fluid motion, he slit her throat, causing her to body to fall to the ground. He stared at his hands, now covered with blood, and back at Katara's fallen body. Although, her eyes were wide open and her mouth agape, she was still smiling. His eyes widened, and his body began to shake. He fell to his knees and his broadswords slipped from his lax hands with a resounding clatter. _

_He had finally done it._

_He had finally succeeded in silencing the only person who ever dared defy him. He should have been euphoric; the annoyance had finally left him. She was no longer his responsibility; he was finally free to choose his own path. However, he didn't feel satisfied or relieved like he had expected; he could only feel a void where his heart once was, a crushing sadness that seemed to engulf his entire being. _

_Everything became dark. The pain was lifted from his soul, as though seeping into the surrounding abyss. His body refused to agree with him; he was completely immobilized. Suddenly, a soft whisper traveled to his ears coaxing him out of his reverie._

"**_Have you had enough, my nephew?" _**

Before Zuko could respond, he woke up, his body drenched in sweat**.  
**

* * *

Katara smiled sadly as she looked at Zuko's sleeping face. The strangest thing had happened; he had collapsed onto the floor as soon as soon as they arrived in his apartment. She had panicked at first, but she realized that although his wound had mysteriously healed itself, his body must have still been getting over the initial shock of the wound. She had spent all night monitoring his body and, to her relief, his fever had just now broken 

She shook her head as she pressed the cold towel onto his forehead one last time. Her eyes landed on his face once more; she still found it strange that someone so brutal and callous could look so peaceful.

_He's not so brutal anymore…_ she mused as she ran her fingers through his silky black locks. _He's…_

She removed her fingers from his hair. What was he to her exactly? He wasn't her friend, but at the same time, he wasn't her enemy either. Something had changed between them in the time they had been together, but she could quite put her finger on it.

She shook her head; it wasn't important anymore. It would all be over in a matter of seconds. She reached into her pocket and grasped the vial tightly in her fingers. She decided what she must do in her heart the moment she had accepted the vial from Azula.

"Zuko," She whispered as the tears welled up in her eyes. "I guess this is goodbye."

She leaned in and kissed him lightly on his forehead before she opened the vial with trembling fingers**.  
**

* * *

_What the hell was that? _Zuko thought as he sat up in confusion.

It had been one of most confusing dreams he had ever experienced. Every moment of it had seemed so real. Especially…

He suddenly glanced at the empty space beside him in panic. His eyes widened as he hastily pulled off the covers and jumped out of bed. He looked around the room for any trace of her, to no avail.

Had she escaped?

_No_. He thought, in an attempt to calm down. _That would be impossible._

He scanned the room one last time and his eyes landed on his bathroom door; it was slightly ajar. He pulled one of his broadswords out of its sheath and cautiously walked towards the door. He kicked the door open with his foot and-

A blunt object connected with his head, causing him to fall to the ground, his broadswords slipping to the floor with a clatter.

Something caught his eye as his consciousness began to slip away: a familiar tan girl was laying on the ground, a strange white powder on her lips.

TBC…

End of Part I

**Gulps** I know this chapter was thoroughly confusing, but no worries. I will clear everything up eventually. Din the mean time, don't be afraid to ask questions. I haven't really decided yet but I think this story will consist of about 25-30 chapters in three separate parts. I've been planning this story for as long as I can remember, and I promise not to disappoint. So please don't come after me with pitchforks or anything like that. In the mean time, I will leave it at that. Let me know what you think. There are a lot of speculations floating around… I could actually use some more རྫ. Constructive criticism only, please. We all know flames are a royal waste of time. I can't tell you for sure when the next chapter will be up. School is starting soon, and I need to focus on midterms and stuff, but I'll try my best to update soon. See you next chapter!

P.S.: I can't wait for Season Three of Avatar. Maybe I can knock some sense into Zuko by yelling at the screen when the premiere airs! Does anyone know when it will air? I've been looking all over for some information, but I can't find anything.


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